


A Mushroom Bouquet

by Evil_Eye



Series: Sucy X Akko: Putting the "Fun" in "Fungus" [1]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Bullying, Drama, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, WAFF, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-08-11 11:08:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20152618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Eye/pseuds/Evil_Eye
Summary: Tragic news strikes Sucy, and the normally stoic witch is left broken. But when her friends gather round to support her, she begins to emerge from her caustic shell...





	1. Poisoned Tears

A Mushroom Bouquet

Chapter 1: Poisoned Tears.

* * *

It was a cold, miserable day. The sky was overcast with dense grey clouds, and a constant, heavy drizzle of rain lashed against the ancient stonework of Luna Nova's castle walls. Bitter winds howled mournfully, and in general the weather was utterly depressing. Akko hoped it would improve somewhat, though at 5:17 in the afternoon that didn't seem overly likely.

However, even had it been gloriously sunny, it wouldn't have lifted the fell mood that had descended over the dorm. All the sunshine in the world wouldn't make it any less grim.

Sucy was crying. The Filipino witch had been sat on her bed for over an hour now, hugging her knees and weeping into her lap. Akko and Lotte had come back from their class to find her in this inconsolable state, and nothing they could do would elicit any kind of positive response from her, or indeed much beyond more sobbing.

“What are we going to do?” sighed Lotte, sadly. “We can't just stand by and do nothing.”

Akko nodded. “I dunno...but I'm really worried. I've never seen her like this before.”

It was almost bizarre. Sucy was not a particularly emotional girl, and rarely showed signs of being upset. Irritation and occasionally anger, yes, but neither of them had ever seen her so much as shed a tear. Witnessing her in the depths of despair like this was awful.

“Perhaps we should get Ursula to talk to her?” suggested Lotte. “She's a good person to be around when you're down.”

Akko shook her head. “She's not in the school at the moment, she's out on an assignment from the principal.” she replied. “What are we going to do?”

She racked her brains, trying to think of an answer. Sucy rarely spoke to any of the staff that often, and to the best of her knowledge she hadn't used the school counselling system at all. There must be someone that she would connect with...

Then it hit her. Professor Lukic! Sucy was one of the only students that seemed to really like and respect her, maybe she'd be the person to talk to.

“Lotte, I have it!” she exclaimed. “Let's get Lukic, she might be able to talk to her.”

Lotte winced. “D-Do we have to?” she said, trembling. “Lukic's kinda scary...”

The Japanese witch sighed. “I mean, she is, but I can't think of anyone else...And besides, if it's for Sucy, I'll do anything.”

“Well...OK then, but don't start whining if she turns us into newts, OK?”

* * *

The pair stood outside the door to Lukic's office, shaking with apprehension. They'd never really spoken to her outside of classes before, and her habit of terrifying the students was not exactly endearing.

“R-Right...” mumbled Lotte. “Who's going to knock?”

Akko glanced at the door. “M-Maybe you should, I'm a bit heavy handed, I don't want to startle-”

Before either of them could knock, the door creaked open, Lukic standing before them in the doorway. The pair nearly jumped out of their skins, but somehow managed to maintain their composures.

“O-O-Oh, P-Professor Lukic!” stammered Lotte, who was shivering with fear. “W-We're really sorry f-f-f-for the intrusion! We- We were wondering if...Ummm...”

“...Is everything OK?” responded Lukic, in a tone unusually soft for the ancient witch.

Akko swallowed hard. “Well...Not really. We...need your help.”

The professor nodded, and gestured into her office. “I see. Well, how about you two come in and tell me what's wrong? I'll get us something to drink.”

Smiling, she shuffled back into the office. Lotte and Akko stared at each other, dumbfounded.

“...Well, that went better than expected...” said Lotte.

* * *

“So, tell me then, what's the matter, my dears?” said Lukic, sitting down on her wicker chair and setting down the freshly-brewed tea on the table.

“W-Well...” began Lotte. “It's...It's our friend Sucy. She's...not in the best of states.”

The professor looked concerned. “Oh dear, what's happened to her? Is she sick? I know how much she likes mushrooms, I hope she hasn't eaten the wrong sort.”

Akko shook her head. “No, she doesn't seem to be ill. She's...well, she's been crying since we got back from class.”

“I see...That's not good at all. Do you know what it's about?”

Again, Akko shook her head, her expression downcast. “She's not talking at all, she's just crying. We tried asking her but she won't talk to us. We're...really worried, we were hoping you could talk to her.”

Lukic nodded, gently. “Of course I will! I'll see what I can do for her.” She took a sip of tea, and smiled. “Thank you for coming to me, by the way. I don't get many visitors.”

Lotte smiled, sheepishly. “A-Ah, I see. I mean...I hope you don't mind me saying this, but-”

“Oh don't worry, I know what you're thinking.” Lukic cut her off, chuckling. “The whole wicked witch act in classes can be a bit intimidating, I know.”

“...Act?”

The old witch laughed. “Well, if I wasn't overly dramatic and scary then you might not take me seriously in magical law class, and we can't have that! And when you get to my age, looking like I do, you might as well make use of it.”

Akko giggled a little. “Heh, I feel silly being so scared before! You're really nice, professor.”

“Well, I try. Anyway, I think we'd better finish our tea and then go and see Miss Manbavaran...”

* * *

“Sucy, we're back.” called Lotte through the door to the dormroom, softly. The door swung open, and Akko, Lotte and Lukic entered the room.

Sucy had finally stopped weeping, but still looked utterly broken. She sat in a huddle on her bed, her one visible eye dull and glazed. She was totally silent.

Akko gulped. She hoped this was going to work.

“H-Hey, Sucy...” she said, hesitantly. “We found Professor Lukic! She was wondering if you needed someone to talk to?”

The girl turned very slightly to face Akko, eye filled with sadness.

“...Oh. I...I see...” she mumbled.

Sighing, Lukic shuffled forward and slowly sat down on the end of Sucy's bed.

“So, Sucy my dear,” she began, calm and non-threatening. “What's the matter? Your friends seemed very worried about you.”

The young witch shook her head, slowly. She remained silent for a few seconds- then at last she spoke.

“I...I received a letter today...” she said, her tone hushed. “It was in the middle of a lesson...I got a letter.”

Lukic nodded. “I see. And what was in the letter, if I may ask?”

Tears began to form in Sucy's eye again. “When I was young...I had no family. I was an orphan. Someone looked after me...Ramza was her name.”

She paused, trembling.

“She...She was the only person who ever cared for me...and...and...she...she died the other day.”

It was too much for her. She broke down in tears again, burying her head in her hands.

“I w-wanted to see her j-j-just one more time! And now I can't!” she wept, body shaking as she cried. “She...She was my only family...and now she's gone!”

Akko felt a pit form in her stomach. She'd known very little about Sucy's background until now; even though there was absolutely nothing she could have done, she still felt guilty somehow.

Lukic shook her head, sadly. Gently, she embraced the weeping girl, wrapping her frail arms around her.

“Steady now, Sucy...” she cooed, softly. “Everything will be alright. You're not alone. You have your friends to watch out for you.”

Sucy reciprocated the hug, holding on tightly to the ageing professor. “I...I know...” she sobbed. “I just...I can't believe she's gone...”

“I know, I know...” Lukic's tone was soothing in a way the young witches didn't even know was possible from her. “I know how awful it is to lose someone you love. But you have to be brave, my dear, you have to carry on and be strong.”

Lukic patted her gently on the back, before releasing her from her arms. “I realize this must be really hard for you, sweetheart. But think of it like this; would Ramza want to see you crying like this? Please, be strong, for her and for yourself.”

Sucy nodded, weakly. “Y-Yeah...I'll try my best. I'm...I'm sorry, it's just-”

“Oh, don't be sorry, there's nothing you've done.” said the old professor. “You must be in a fragile state at the moment, I know how difficult this will be. All I ask is that you look after yourself, and let your friends help you.”

“Yeah!” said Akko. “We'll do whatever we can to help, isn't that right, Lotte?”

Lotte nodded, smiling. “Of course! If you need anything at all, just let us know.”

Lukic grinned. “That's wonderful! You're very lucky to have such good friends, Sucy.” she said. “Anyway, I've just seen the time, so I need to be on my way, but if you ever need to talk to me, just let me know.”

“I-I will.” replied Sucy. “And Professor...thank you.”

“Not a problem.” said the old witch as she stood up to leave. “Now, Miss Kagari, Miss Jansson, be good to Sucy, and make sure she's comfortable. I'll let the other staff know about this, if that's OK.”

“Yeah, that's probably a good idea.” said Sucy.

“Alright, then in that case I'll be off. Hang on in there, Sucy, OK?”

With that, she shuffled out of the dormroom and carefuly closed the door, before strolling off down the hall.

* * *

  
“Is there anything we can do for you, Sucy?” asked Akko.

Sucy shook her head. “It's OK. I'll...I'll be alright.” she replied. “And...thanks, guys. I really appreciate you trying to help me...”

Lotte smiled. “Nonsense, we're just doing what good friends are meant to do!” she said, cheerfully. “We couldn't just let you suffer now, could we?”

The Filipino witch smiled ever so slightly. “Well, thank you regardless. I haven't had a lot of people I could rely on in my life.”

“Say, Sucy...” said Akko, hesitantly. “I hope you don't mind me asking, but you never told us much about your childhood. I remember you told us a little during the board game incident, but...I'm sorry, I shouldn't be nosy, never mind.”

“Don't worry, Akko.” replied Sucy. “I suppose I should tell you more. It's not fair for me to burden you with all this and not explain myself, after all.”

She sighed, and reached under her bed, drawing out a small box. Rummaging around inside it, she withdrew a bottle of black liquid and a little woollen knitted snake, a bit faded but oddly cute with its button eyes and toothy smile.

“I don't remember much from my very early childhood.” she began, wistfully. “Not that many people do, admittedly, but that's not the point.”

She held up the bottle, the fluid inside purest pitch black.

“Ramza told me she found me in a basket by the side of the road when she went travelling one day.” she continued. “The only clue to where I came from was this bottle.”

Akko stared in morbid fascination at the phial. “Sucy, what is that?” she asked, mesmerized by the sheer darkness of the mysterious substance.

“It's an antidote to the effects of _Occulus Diabolicus Extremis_.” she replied. “I don't know who my parents were, but I know why I was abandoned.”

“..._Occulus Diabolicus Extremis_?” Akko and Lotte queried as one.

She slid her hand into her pocket and withdrew a small blue charm on a string, before offering it to the girls opposite her.

“Here, Lotte, Akko.” she said. “Hold onto this. And do not let go of it until I tell you.”

The girls nodded and did as they were told.

Slowly, carefully, Sucy drew her forelock back. As she did so, her left eye was revealed, and the two girls felt themselves begin to sicken.

The eye was a deep unhealthy shade of red, criss-crossed with black veins. Her iris was a milky white, and seemingly without a pupil. The surrounding skin was blotchy and swollen, as if the presence of the eye in her head was corrupting her very flesh.

But the worst of it was not what they could see, but what they felt. A horrible, stabbing pain began to build in their temples, and their vision began to blurr. Their heads filled with a morose droning noise, louder and louder, as they felt their guts tighten at the sheer wrongness that was overcoming them.

Then, at last, Sucy let her hair fall back into place, and the feeling immediately dissipated.

Akko wretched, hyperventilating somewhat. “S-Sucy!” she spluttered, still recovering from what she had seen. “What...what was THAT?”

The lilac-haired witch shook her head, sadly. “That...” she sighed. “...Was an extreme case of Evil Eye. I was born with it, and I suspect my parents abandoned me because of it. All I can assume is my mother was cursed before I was born.”

She put the bottle back in her box, and instead focused her attention on the little cuddly snake, smiling ever so slightly.

“Anyway, even with my Evil Eye, Ramza took pity on me and took me into her orphanage.” she carried on. “She was good to me; she clothed me, fed me and looked after me, and she made me this little snake.”

She held the snake close to her chest, closing her eye.

“The other orphans, though...they didn't like me so much. Maybe it was because of my eye, maybe it was because I was new, maybe they thought Ramza favoured me. Or maybe I was just an easy target. But regardless of the reasons...they could be so cruel.”

She paused to wipe away a stray tear.

“I won't bore you with all the details, but they did...horrible things to me.” She struggled to keep her composure, sniffling a little bit. “I could take the beatings, but the things they said to me, they hurt.”

Akko looked possibly even more mortified than from witnessing Sucy's Evil Eye. “That's...that's awful, Sucy...” she gasped, taken aback completely. “Didn't Ramza try to stop them?”

Sucy nodded. “She did what she could. But nobody can be everywhere at once, and I tried not to bother her with my troubles too much.” she said, mournfully. “I guess I thought that by running to her, I was just proving them right, that I was her favourite and that I was useless without her.”

She hugged the snake tightly, shaking her head.

“I had a few friends, but not many. I always remember Lailani and Benjie being nice to me; we used to play together when we could.” she said. “There were a few others, but those two stuck with me, through thick and thin.”

“What happened to them?” asked Lotte.

Sucy's shoulders slumped. “I don't know...” she replied. “I haven't heard from them since I went to Luna Nova. I've tried to get in contact with them in the past, but I've never gotten a reply. I hope they're alright anyway.”

“So...what happened next?” said Akko, curiously. “What made you want to become a witch?”

“I'd always liked magic,” responded Sucy. “But Ramza told me about this place...Luna Nova. She said if there was anywhere that might have the resources to cure my Evil Eye it was here. She'd been a student here when she was young, and she helped me get a place at the school.”

She stared at the floor. “I wanted to find the cure for my eye and see her again, without this...thing,” she mumbled, feeling herself beginning to cry again.. “But...I guess I'll never do that now.”

Akko couldn't stand it any longer. Seeing her friend like this, it made her hurt. The Japanese witch rose from the bed and sat down beside Sucy, before hugging her tightly.

“Sucy...I'm so sorry...” she murmured, crying a little herself. “I wish there was something I could do...”

To her surprise, Sucy did not force her away, instead hugging her back. “It's OK, Akko...You're listening to me. That's what matters.” she said, without a shred of her usual snark. “I'm sorry I'm always calling you a dummy. I wouldn't trade you or Lotte for all the mushrooms in the world.”

“Hey, don't worry about it, it's-”

Sucy cut her off. “No, Akko, I need to apologize to you. I've been an awful friend.” she said, tearfully. “Ever since we met, you were nice to me, and I've...I've been so mean to you.”

Akko shook her head. “C'mon, don't beat yourself up, Sucy!” she said, trying to remain upbeat. “I'm always acting like a clown, screwing up and generally being a nuisance, I just can't believe how patient you've been with me!”

Even Sucy couldn't resist a wry grin. “Oh goddamnit, Akko, stop it.” she chuckled. “You're just too nice for your own good...maybe that's why I put up with your nonsense.”

The three girls shared a much-needed laugh.

Lotte glanced at her watch. “Hey, it's nearly time for dinner, if we don't get down there soon we'll miss it.” she said. “We'd better go!”

“Oh crap, I almost forgot!” exclaimed Akko. “God, I hope there's something other than potatoes on offer tonight...”

* * *

“Sucy, are you gonna be alright?” said Akko, gently. “You've barely touched your garlic mushrooms...”

The lilac-haired girl nodded. “I'm...not really very hungry.” she replied, quietly. “I just came down to be with you guys, to be honest.”

“That's no good, you have to eat something...”

Lotte sighed. She really felt for poor Sucy, but she really, really hoped that she wasn't going to do anything unwise out of grief.

“Honestly, it's fine.” mumbled Sucy. “I just didn't want to be alone. Here, Akko, you can have them.”

Akko looked deeply concerned, and more than a little puzzled. “Are...Are you sure?” she said, baffled. “I don't want you to starve yourself-”

“What's the matter with fungus-face here?” came a shrill, sneering voice from behind the girls. “She looks even more miserable than usual!”

The trio turned to face the source of the jab, and sure enough, Wilma Torbenson was standing there with hands on hips, with her usual look of utter disdain.

Wilma, to put it simply, was a nasty piece of work. A tall, lanky witch from Sweden with pigtailed blonde hair and piercing green eyes, she was talented at magic and fairly pretty, but otherwise had few redeeming features. She was rude, condescending and unkind, but by far and away her worst trait was that she was a spiteful, wicked bully. She would pick on anyone she disliked for whatever reason; Akko had been subjected to her viciousness first-hand, notably since the unsealing of the Grand Triskellion.

Nobody was quite sure how she'd stayed in Luna Nova for so long- with her reputation as a bully, she by all rights should have been kicked out long ago. For her to turn up now of all times was disastrous.

“Leave me alone, Wilma.” muttered Sucy. “I'm not in the mood right now.”

Wilma scoffed. “Pah! And what about that Magic Linguistics class you disrupted by wailing like a baby right in the middle of it and running out? We weren't in the mood for that, but we still had to put up with it! That wasn't very considerate of you, was it?”

Akko clenched her fist. “Get lost!” she snapped, feeling her temper rise. “She's had a hell of a day, do you really think she needs you picking on her?”

“Y-Yeah, Sucy's really had a shock today,” said Lotte, who for her part was trying to remain calm. “Please, Wilma, try and be considerate.”

“Oh, is that so?” replied the Swedish witch. “And what was that “shock” I wonder? I assume it was to do with that letter you received in the class, did your latest order of mushrooms not smell bad enough for you?”

“For crying out loud, stop it, Wilma!” Akko shouted, visibly angry. “It's none of your business! What's wrong with you?”

“Well, I'm attending a school that lets poison-obsessed crybabies and no-talent dimwits like you into it, for starters.” Wilma said, coldly. “Didn't you only learn to ride a broom a few weeks ago?”

“S-So what if I did?!” snapped Akko. “What's it to you, anyway?”

“Girls, what's going on here?” came a stern voice.

The bickering girls turned to see Anne Finnelan standing before them, arms crossed and looking very unimpressed.

“Oh, I just heard these three stooges talking about me behind my back.” said Wilma, lying through her teeth. “So I was scolding them for that.”

Lotte stood bolt upright, looking uncharacteristically furious. “That's not true!” she yelled. “We were minding our own business and Wilma here started picking on Sucy for no reason!”

Mrs. Finnelan sighed. “Well, whoever did what to whoever, stop doing it at once.” she grumbled. “Stop being disruptive in the middle of dinner, or you can leave the dining room!”

“B-But-” began an incensed Akko, but she was cut off by Sucy of all people.

“It's fine...” sighed Sucy. “We've finished our food, we'll go back to our room.” She stood up slowly and began to plod off.

“W-Wait, Sucy!” Akko exclaimed, running after her.

Wilma rolled her eyes, before waltzing back to her table, muttering to herself as she did so.

Mrs. Finnelan looked at Lotte, who was still fuming. “Please, calm down Miss Jansson.” she said, slightly less grumpily than usual. “What was all that commotion about anyway?”

Lotte folded her arms. “Well, I don't know if Mrs. Lukic has spoken to you,” she began. “But...Sucy's adoptive mother died recently, and Sucy just found out.”

Finnelan's expression softened somewhat, and she sighed. “I see...I haven't seen Professor Lukic yet, so I wasn't aware of that. But thank you for letting me know, I'll try and keep that in mind.” she said. “Give her my condolences, in any event.”

The Finn nodded. “I will, thank you. But...please, keep an eye out for her. She's doing her best to hold it in, but I think she's really fragile at the moment. And between you and me, I think Wilma's got an axe to grind with her for some reason.”

“I understand. I'll do my best to make sure Miss Manbavaran comes to no harm.” replied the professor, earnestly. “As for Wilma, her recent behaviour has been a cause for concern, and your comments are duly noted.”

Lotte smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Finnelan. I'm so glad you're taking this seriously.”

“Of course. Now, you'd probably best get back to your room, I suspect your friends will be missing you.”

* * *

“I don't understand what Wilma's problem is!” exclaimed Akko. “Honestly, you're minding your own business and she comes along and starts giving you grief! What a jerk!”

Sucy nodded. “Some people are just like that, Akko.” she responded, tiredly. “There's no point getting hung up over it, I've had it most of my life.”

She sighed and laid back on her bed. “But...thank you for sticking up for me, anyway.” she said softly, a very slight smile on her face.

Akko smiled back. “It's cool, Sucy. Just take it easy, OK?”

“Y-Yeah, I'll try...”

The door swung open, and Lotte walked in. She yawned, stretching as she did so.

“Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm about ready for an early night.” she said, exhaustedly. “Today's been one of those days.”

“Agreed.” said Akko. “Let's get some shut-eye. That sounds like a plan, eh Sucy?”

“Mhm.” she mumbled.

* * *

  
Akko's eyes slid open, very, very slowly. She had no idea why, but something had awoken her from her sleep- and judging by the darkness, it was definitely not the time for it.

“Gnnnhh...” she groaned, sitting up quietly, trying not to wake up her room-mates. “Wh-What's going on...”

She surveyed the room. Everything seemed to be in order- Lotte was fast asleep, and her spirit lantern was unlit. No noise was coming through the walls or from outside, and there was no unwanted light in the room. So what had woken her up?

Then she realized- there was a faint noise, coming from across the room. It sounded like a mixture of somewhat nasal breathing and...mumbling?

Was Sucy talking in her sleep? She never usually did that.

Very, very carefully, she eased out of bed, trying to work out what exactly was going on in Sucy's corner of the room. As she did, she saw that something was very, very wrong.

Sucy normally slept on her back, totally quiet and still; she was a heavy sleeper, and not prone to making a lot of sound or movement. Yet now, she was curled up on her side in the foetal position , blankets huddled about her and shuddering like an animal. And she was...sleep-talking.

“...P-Please....Don't go...” she murmured. “D-D-Don't leave me...I don't want to be alone...”

_Sucy..._ Akko thought to herself. _You poor thing...I wish I could help you._

The mumbling continued. “N-No, Ramza, I...I need you...Please, don't leave me alone...please...Ramza...”

Suddenly, to Akko's shock, Sucy sat bolt upright, eye flicking open.

“_Ramza!_” She cried out, collapsing in floods of tears.

Akko practically had a heart attack from Sucy's sudden awakening. “G-Gah! Sucy! Are...are you OK?” she sputtered, nearly falling over in the process.

Sucy shook her head. “No...No I'm not...I just...I can't do this...” she blubbered, rubbing her eyes. “I don't know what to do...”

The Japanese witch sighed. Miraculously, Lotte had remained asleep, though exactly how she wasn't sure. But in any event, she felt she had to do something for her friend.

“Say, Sucy...” she whispered, gently. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

The girl nodded, still crying. “W-Well...this is kind of embarrassing, but...can I sleep next to you?” she asked, completely sincerely. “I'm so scared...”

“Eh? I mean...if you want to, but...are you sure?”

Sucy nodded again. “Yeah...I'm sorry, I don't want to be a pain, I'm just so...” she trailed off.

“...So lonely...”

Akko blinked. This was completely unlike anything she'd seen from her friend before. But still, she wasn't going to turn down Sucy in her time of need.

“Sure!” she said, beaming. “I'll try not to fidget too much.” She sat back down on the bed and slid under the covers, holding one corner up for Sucy to get in.

The Filipino witch smiled. “Thanks, Akko.” she said, gratefully. “You're the best.”

Slowly and carefully, she climbed onto the bed and slipped under the blanket, pulling it over herself. To Akko's surprise, she snuggled up to her, wrapping one arm around her.

“H-Hey, steady on there!” giggled Akko.

Sucy suddenly looked very ashamed. “S-Sorry...” she mumbled. “I didn't mean to-”

“It's fine, don't worry about it.” Akko cut her off with a grin. “I don't mind at all.”

“Oh...I see!” Sucy began to blush a little. “Thank you. You're a good friend.”

She smiled, her eyelid beginning to droop. “G'night, Akko...” she murmured, before closing her eye and settling down to sleep.

Akko chuckled very lightly. “G'night, Sucy.” she whispered, before drifting off herself.

* * *

*Click*

Wilma admired the handiwork of the faerie-camera she had purloined from the Luna Nova News Network, as the photos printed off from the slot in the base of the device. In spite of the darkness, they had managed to capture the events transpiring in the room through a mere crack in the door.

She'd struck gold, she thought to herself. She'd expected to capture Sucy in an embarrassing state, but never in her wildest dreams had she thought she'd see her and Akko, the school idiot, literally cozying up together in the same bed. With this? She'd ruin the pair of them in an instant. Akko would be exposed as the dumb hick she was, and Sucy would be revealed as even more creepy and pathetic than anyone had thought.

Now she just had to think of a way to distribute the photos...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some side notes:  
>This is set after the events of the TV series.  
>Ramza is of course lifted wholesale from the manga version. I've heard some people spell her name "Ramzan" but as it's spelled without the N in the manga copy I own, that's how I'm spelling it.  
>"Evil Eye" is an actual mythical curse in some cultures (though given some artistic flair by yours truly)- I didn't literally name her condition after my pseud, I'm not that arrogant!  
>Wilma is a totally original character of my creation- she's not even based on an existing background witch. If for some reason she captures your imagination sufficiently then feel free to pinch her for your own works (though I'd prefer you credit me).


	2. A Snake in the Grass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sucy is still very fragile following the awful news she's received, but is on the mend emotionally. However, things are about to go downhill...

A Mushroom Bouquet

Chapter 2: A Snake in the Grass.

Groggily, Akko stirred from her slumber, eyes peeling open slowly. It was quarter to 6 in the morning; far too early for her liking, but such was demanded by Luna Nova's schedule. Still, she had a little while in bed, so she might as well make the most of it.

Sucy was fast asleep next to her, holding tightly onto her and snoring softly. She looked so peaceful and contented; it was hard to believe that this was the same girl that had been so utterly devastated yesterday.

Akko smiled, and absent-mindedly ran her fingers through Sucy's hair. It was strange, sharing a bed with someone else, but it wasn't unpleasant. Sucy was such a funny little creature, quite slender and almost weak-feeling, but she had an inner warmth that was at odds with the deathly pale tone of her skin. It was actually quite nice, having her cuddled up like this.

The Japanese witch settled back down into her pillow, intending to sleep for the remaining 45 minutes until she needed to get up. Before she could, however, Sucy's eye snapped open into wakefulness.

“Oh, hey Sucy!” she said, quietly so as not to wake Lotte. “Did you have an OK sleep?”

The pale girl smiled. “Yeah, thanks.” she replied. “I feel much better now.”

Akko beamed in her usual boundlessly cheerful way. “That's good, I'm glad to hear that.” she said. “It's still 40 minutes 'til we have to get up though, so we're in no rush.”

“Good, I'm still pretty tired.” yawned Sucy. “And in any event, I like this. It's cozy.”

“Y-Yeah, heh heh!” Akko blushed a little at Sucy's forwardness. She had to admit though, it was better than her usual brand of tactlessness.

The Filipino girl sighed. “Say, Akko...” she said, softly. “...I'm really glad I have you as a friend.”

“Oh, stop it, you!” Akko giggled. “All those 'shrooms must have gotten to your brain, you're getting all soppy!”

Sucy laughed gently. “Heh, touché. Seriously, though, thank you. Not many people would let someone like me share their bed with them.”

She wriggled a bit closer to Akko, holding on tighter than before.

“I'm sorry, Akko...” she said, breathily. “I must seem like such a big baby at the moment. I just-”

Akko shook her head. “Sucy, it's fine. I've been through some wacky stuff whilst I've been here, following my dream- sharing a bed with one of my best friends is pretty small fry.” She locked gazes with Sucy, still smiling. “I joined Luna Nova so I could learn magic and make people happy, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that making people happy is a kind of magic itself.”

Sucy stifled a giggle. “Oh for crying out loud, Akko, only you could say something that painfully sappy without a shred of irony.” She grinned, mischievously. “I think I just got diabetes from that.”

Before Akko could reply, there was a slight creak from above them, followed by a yawn.

“Gnh....Akko, where's Sucy?” came Lotte's voice from the bunk above. “She isn't in her bed...”

“A-Ah, yeah, she's umm...” stammered Akko, suddenly very flustered. “Uh...erm...”

As she struggled to think of an excuse, Lotte popped her head down from her bunk, and her cheeks went a bright red. There was an awkward silence as the Finnish witch processed what was going on before her.

“...Oh!” she blurted at last. “I, uh, I wasn't expecting that!”

Akko looked extremely embarrassed. “P-Please, it's not what it looks like!” she spluttered. “It's just-”

“I had a nightmare last night,” interrupted Sucy, turning to face Lotte. “so I asked Akko if I could share her bed.”

Lotte blinked, looking completely dumbfounded. Then, at last, she laughed.  
  
“Well, now I've seen everything!” she chuckled. “Oh Sucy, you big wuss!”

Sucy feigned hurt. “Wow, rude much? Thanks for the sympathy, jerkass.” she muttered, not able to restrain the mischievous smirk that had crept onto her face.

Lotte rolled her eyes playfully. “Hey, it's cool, as long as you're alright.” she said, earnestly. “Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.”

“Good, or else I'd have to kill you.” giggled Sucy, only half-joking. “But do we have to get up right now? It's not even six o'clock yet.”

“Huh. Good point. In that case, I'm having another nap.”  
  
With that, Lotte sank back into her bed and dozed off again.

“Hmm, sounds like a good idea to me.” said Akko. “How about you?”

“Ditto.” replied Sucy.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

  
The three witches were rudely awoken from their slumber by a rap on the bedroom door, followed by the sound of Professor Ursula's voice.

“Akko? Lotte? Sucy? It's nearly time for breakfast, you'd better get a move on!” she called from the other side. “Come on, rise and shine!”

“Gnnnhhhggg...W-What?” mumbled Akko, who had well and truly drifted off before the interruption.

“Breakfast, girls!” came Ursula's voice again. “You're going to be late!”

Finally, Akko's brain kicked into gear. “Oh, right! We'll be right down!” she called back.

“Well, guess we'd better get up, then.” said Sucy. “A shame, I'm still pretty bushed.”

Tired though they were, the three girls got dressed and left their dormroom for the cafeteria, looking forward to a new, better day. Little did any of them suspect what they were in for.

“Geez, that's awful, Suce.” said Amanda, in between bites of toast. “I'm really sorry, I hope you're holding up alright.”  
  
Sucy nodded. “It's OK, Amanda, I think I've recovered somewhat.” she replied, still somewhat subdued. “But thank you, I appreciate the thought.”

Jasminka sighed. “Golly, you seem to be taking this really well, all things considered.” she said. “I can't even imagine how painful that must have been...Say, did you want a muffin?”

“No thank you, Jas, I'm still not feeling very hungry at the moment.”

Akko nudged the plate towards Sucy. “C'mon, Sucy, you've barely eaten anything since yesterday!” she pleaded. “You can't let yourself waste away!”

“Honestly, it's fine.” the lilac-haired girl said. “But I suppose if it'll make you guys happy...”

She hesitantly picked up the muffin and took a little nibble of it.

“There, that's better.” said Akko. “We don't want you getting down in the dumps again.”

Whilst she'd never in a million years have expected it, Akko was finding herself feeling oddly protective of Sucy. Perhaps it was because she'd come from a stable, loving family, and the thought of losing a loved one was so horrible to her. Or maybe it was because she still remembered the pain of discovering the truth of her difficulties with magic, and how awful that despair had been. But regardless of why, she really wanted to do her best to keep Sucy happy.

It was ironic, really, considering how Sucy usually was. Over their time together Sucy had just as often pulled pranks on her or tested her latest chemical concoctions on her as helped her out or given her support; when they'd first met she'd nearly taken her eye out. But knowing what she knew now, and having seen her at her most vulnerable, it had changed her outlook on the girl completely.

“Heh...Thanks.” mumbled Sucy, taking another nibble of muffin. “It's pretty good.”

Lotte smiled. “Yeah, they're not bad for the cafeteria are they?” she said, cheerfully. “I'm pretty impressed with...Oh, hello Diana!”

Sure enough, Diana had appeared before the girls, for once not flanked by Hannah or Barbara. She looked incredibly solemn, even by her standards.

“Miss Manbavaran,” she said, as composed as ever. “I'm...deeply sorry for your loss, and I'd like to offer my sincerest condolences. If there's anything at all that I can do to help, please let me know.”

Sucy very subtly smiled. “It's alright. Thank you, Diana.” she said, quietly. “And I will.”

“Hey, Diana, I don't suppose I can ask a favour can I?” asked Akko. “Something's been bugging me, and you might be able to help.”

The Cavendish nodded. “It depends what it is, but fire away.”

“Well, are you familiar with Wilma Torbenson?”

Diana's gaze narrowed, and her lips curled into a grimace.

“Indeed I am, though I wish I were not.” she said, moodily. “A most disagreeable witch, and though I admire her talent for magic, her attitude towards her fellow students leaves a lot to be desired. Why, has she been giving you trouble?”

Akko just nodded. “Yeah, you could put it that way.” she said.

“Oh cripes, that cow!?!” blurted Amanda. “She's a right piece of work, she is! You should have heard what she said to me and Jas!”

“It's true,” said Jasminka, the usually jolly witch suddenly a little mournful. “She made extremely unkind remarks about my weight and Amanda's romantic sensibilities! And as for poor Constanze...”

Constanze grunted angrily, holding up a Stanbot with a dented head panel.

Diana looked very troubled. “Oh dear. And you suspect that she will turn her ire against Sucy next?”

“I don't know about “will”, she already has!” piped up Lotte. “She was picking on her last night!”

“Yeah,” said Akko. “I don't think she knows about what's happened to Sucy yet, but if you could keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't find out, that'd be for the best.”

“Of course.” Diana replied. “I'll do what I can, I think it's best for everyone that Wilma is kept as far away from Sucy as possible.”

Classes proceeded as normal for most of the day, with nothing particularly eventful happening other than Akko actually managing to complete a Culinary Magic class without anything exploding or ending up poisonous, much to Badcock's relief and Akko's delight. Sucy was still a little quiet, but she seemed to b stable at the very least. It seemed Friday was going to pass by without any catastrophes or emotional breakdowns.

However, the History of Magic class was about to bring all that to a screeching halt.

“Right, girls, today we're going to be learning about the Great Simoom Incident of 1859,” intoned the History teacher. “Now, has anybody here heard of it? There's no shame if not, it's not very well known today.”

Akko's hand shot straight up. “Yes, ma'am!” she said, eagerly. “A practitioner of Arabian magic in California accidentally summoned an Ifrit in a botched binding ritual, and it manifested as a fiery wind that devastated the area!”

The teacher clapped. “Excellent, Miss Kagari!” she exclaimed. “Now, let me load the slides into this projector and we can learn the details.”

“Hey, when did you start swotting up on this kind of thing?” whispered Lotte, playfully. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Akko?”

Akko rolled her eyes. “I told you, I'm taking this seriously now!” she responded. “Besides, it's a pretty cool story, especially how they sealed the Ifrit back away!”

The teacher slid a cartridge into the hollow of a stone dais upon which was sat a crystalline sphere, before reciting a brief incantation to activate the arcane projector, which immediately began to levitate.

“Now, as these pictures will show, the process of binding an Ifrit was always a risky one, and-”

Before she could finish her sentence, however, the entire class broke out into howls of laughter.

“What's so funny?!?” the teacher sputtered. “This is very serious! There's nothing remotely amusing ab...Wait a minute, what's going on here?”

Where there should have been a presentation slide showing blundered attempts to summon Ifrit, instead the magical projector was showing, for all the class to see, a collage of pictures of a Luna Nova dorm room.

To be exact, Akko and Sucy's dorm room.

With Akko and Sucy snuggled up together in the same bed.

The classroom was practically shaking with the guffaws of mirth from the students. Already the room was filling with snide comments and catty remarks.  
  
“Good grief, what kind of a sick joke is this?” yelled the teacher. “Is this some kind of prank, Miss Kagari?!?”

Akko stood bolt upright, her expression utterly mortified. “N-No, I have no idea what these pictures are doing here!” she blurted. “In fact I have no idea how these pictures got taken in the fi-”

She clapped her hand over her mouth, realizing she had just admitted that it was indeed her in the picture.

_Great, now you've blown it... _ she thought to herself.

“Ha! I knew it!” spluttered someone from the far side of the classroom. “Akko's so desperate for love she's coming onto one of her room-mates!”

“I dunno, it looks more like that creep Sucy's the one coming onto her!” chortled someone else.

“Regardless, what a sad pair of dykes!”

Akko clenched her fists. “What the hell is going on here?!” she fumed,  barely able to hear herself think over the mocking laughter that had consumed the room . “How was anyone even able to take a photo in the first place? We aren't allowed regular cameras, and magic ones cost a fortune! Why is-”

“Akko...” Sucy said, through deep, shuddering breaths. “...How could this happen?”

The Japanese witch turned to face her friend, and her heart sank. Poor Sucy's face was twisted into a mask of complete horror and despair, and she was hyperventilating and quivering violently. All that work to try and repair the girl's fragile ego was for nothing. She looked like she was about to break down again.

“I haven't the foggiest, but trust me Sucy, I'll get to the bottom of this!” exclaimed Akko. “C'mon, Sucy, Lotte, let's go!”

The three witches rose from their seats, angrily.

“Oh look, the little lovebirds are running away to their romantic retreat!” crowed someone in the back row. “And they're dragging poor pure little Lotte with them, for some vile threesome no doubt!”

The brown-haired girl ignored the jab. “If you'll excuse us, miss, we have to be going.” said Akko, angrily. “And, uh, sorry about this mess...”

“Akko, wait! I need to-” began the teacher, but she was already gone.

The door closed behind the trio, the sound of giggling still following them.

“How the hell did that happen!?” Akko snapped. “That was, what, 11:14 at night? What sad loser is wandering around taking photos at that time? Some people, eh Sucy?”

Sucy did not respond.

“...Sucy?”

The Filipino turned to Akko, eye full of tears. She looked almost as distressed as she had when she'd been telling Lukic about the letter she'd received.

“...I'm sorry, Akko...” she said at last, voice strained with sadness. “...This is all my fault...!”

With that, she ran off down the hallway, headed for parts unknown.

“Sucy, wait!” Akko called out after her, but it was no use- she was gone.

She shook her head, frustratedly. “Damnity-damnit-damn-damn!” she shouted. “When I find out who's behind this I'm gonna-”

“Never mind that for now...” said Lotte. “We need to make sure Sucy's OK.”

“Good point.” She began to stroke her chin. “Tell you what, I'll go look for her, and you go and find someone to tell about this.”

Lotte nodded. “OK, got it. Just, make sure she comes back safely.”

“Sucy! Sucy, where are you?” Akko called out, as she strode across the school grounds.  
  
She'd checked absolutely everywhere in the school itself, but her friend was nowhere to be found. She'd looked in every empty room, every cupboard, every toilet, every stairwell, and countless other places, but Sucy still had yet to turn up.

She was absolutely beside herself with anger at whoever had done this. Quite aside from how scummy it was to violate hers and Sucy's privacy like that by taking the photos in the first place, humiliating them like that was inexcusable. At the best of times it would have been low, but doing it to a girl who had just lost their only family was unforgivable. What kind of coward would feel the need to do something like that?

Akko sighed, pressing onwards. Sucy had to be somewhere- she couldn't have gone that far...

“Sucy, it's me, Akko!” she called again. “Are you OK?”

“Oh, hello Akko.” came a voice from behind her. “Is everything alright?”

Jumping a little, the young witch turned round to find Nelson the flight instructor standing behind her, broom in hand.

“Ah, w-well, not exactly...” she replied. “Have you seen Sucy anywhere?”

Nelson nodded. “I think I might have, I was doing a routine patrol and saw her headed for that old graveyard. At least, I think it was her.” she answered. “What happened? Lukic told me about yesterday, but I thought she'd recovered by now.”

Akko shook her head. “She had, but someone...well, someone pulled a really mean prank on us, and she ran off. I'm really worried about her.”

The broom teacher sighed. “Girls can be cruel, sometimes.” she said, sadly. “Tell you what, that graveyard's a fair old walk away, I'll take you there by broom if you want.”

The Japanese witch lit up “Really? That'd be great!”

“Sure! Hop on, I'll get the old girl revved up and we'll go there now.”

Nelson and Akko soared through the peaceful English skies on the broom. The weather wasn't ideal; there was a medium wind and a real nip in the air, but at the very least it wasn't raining. They flew below cloud level, with Akko looking out for Sucy.

“This is really cool!” said Akko, holding on tightly to the broom. “I wish I could fly this well...”

“You'll get there!” replied Nelson, confidently. “It just takes a bit of practice is all. You should have seen me when I joined the RAF, I was a mess to begin with! Of course that was on a Tiger Moth biplane rather than a broom, but they're both flying things...”

“Wait, you were in the RAF?”

Nelson smiled. “Indeed I was! Part of an un-numbered squadron, kept secret during the war. “The Broomies” they called us, though we flew Hurricanes, not brooms. Silly nickname really, but we liked it.”

Akko looked amazed. “Wow, that's awesome!” she said, astonished. “What's it like flying a plane compared to a broom?”

“It's...different.” replied Nelson. “You can't just do whatever you want, you've got to account for stall speeds, not letting the engine cut out and whatnot. But on the plus side, much less cold and a bit more practical when you have bandits on your tail. Not to mention even faster!”

The younger witch was in awe. “That's so cool!” she exclaimed. “I'd love to- Hang on, I think I see her!”

She pointed earthwards, and sure enough, down below them was the old graveyard. Flowing through the graveyard was a stream with a willow growing by the side of it, and sat at the foot of the tree, hard to distinguish at that height but immediately recognizable, was Sucy.

“OK, thank you so much.” she said, giving Nelson the thumbs-up. “Can you bring me down there?”

The old broom-instructor nodded. “Aye, I'll drop you off outside the graveyard and wait there for you, and when you bring her back I'll take the pair of you back to the school. Does that sound alright?”

“Sure!”

Akko entered the graveyard, closing the old wrought-iron gate behind her.  
  
The place was very quiet, and had a distinctly lonely feeling to it. The only sounds were the subtle bubbling of the stream, and the now-softened wind blowing across the countryside. It wasn't especially creepy as graveyards went, but it did feel intensely melancholic.

Slowly, she trod down the path between the rows of tombstones, towards the great willow under which her friend sat. The stones were all very, very old, and a great deal were more or less illegible from the ravages of time, yet there were still fresh flowers at the base of some of them, and even the oldest, most battered stones had patches of forget-me-nots growing at their foot, as though the earth itself was paying tribute to those long-forgotten souls.

_Forget-me-nots growing in a graveyard..._ thought Akko.  _How fitting._

Eventually, she reached the willow. Very carefully, she stepped over gnarled roots around the tree to reach Sucy, who was sitting facing the stream.

The girl was utterly silent, rocking backwards and forwards with her legs held close to her chest.

“...Hey, Sucy...” Akko said, very softly. “Are you alright?”

“What do you think?” replied Sucy, bitterly.

Akko shook her head. “I'm sorry, stupid question. I just-”

“I know, I know.” said the lilac-haired witch, trying to maintain some form of composure. “You just wanted to make sure I was OK...”

She turned to face Akko, her eye sore and red from crying.

“Akko, it's not your fault...I shouldn't have been such a crybaby last night. If I hadn't-”

“No, Sucy, you've done nothing wrong.” It was Akko's turn to cut Sucy off. “I...I can't even imagine how awful it must have been getting that letter...There's nothing wrong with wanting someone to comfort you after that.”  
  
Sucy sighed. “I'm glad you think so...A shame they didn't. I'm probably a pariah now, as if I wasn't one already.” she mumbled. “What's the point in even going back now?”

“C'mon Sucy, you can't let them force you out of Luna Nova!” Akko responded. “Who cares what those idiots think of you? You've got your friends to look out for you! Everyone's on your side- Amanda, Jasminka, Constanze, Diana, Lotte...Me!”

“Akko, I-”

She carried on. “You've got people who care about you, who want you to be there...Are you going to let them down just because some stupid jerks laughed at you? Remember what Lukic told you! You have to be strong!”

She knelt down on the grass, and put a hand on Sucy's shoulder.

“Sucy...I don't care how many times I get laughed at, or by who. You'll always be my friend.” she said. “I've spent my whole life chasing after a dream of being like Shiny Chariot and making people happy. But if I can just make you happy, that'll be good enough for me.”

Sucy's eye widened, and she gasped.

“Akko...” she breathed. “Do...Do you really mean that?”

She nodded, decisively. “Of course I do.” she said. “I'll do anything for you, Sucy...”

The Filipino girl's eye began to fill with tears again- tears of joy. She smiled like Akko had seldom seen her smile before; not a smirk of amusement or a sarcastic grin, but an honest, heartfelt smile of utter elation.

“_Akko!” _she cried, throwing her arms around the Japanese witch in a spontaneous embrace. “I'm sorry for everything...I'll stop feeding you potions, I'll stop making fun of you when you mess up, I'll...Oh god, Akko, thank you!”

Akko hugged Sucy back, holding the trembling girl in her arms. “It's OK, Sucy...” she said, very gently. “There's nothing to worry about...Everything's gonna be alright.”

Sucy buried her face in Akko's shoulder. “I...Akko, I...” she sobbed. “...You're the best friend ever...”

“W-Well, if you say so!” Akko couldn't help but blush. “I mean, I try, heh heh.”

For what seemed like an eternity, Akko just held Sucy in her arms, as she cried with happiness. Then, at last, the pale girl broke off, finally managing to hold in her tears.

“Say...I need to tell you something...” said Sucy. “Akko...I just wanted to let you kn-”

“Hey, are you two alright?” butted in Nelson, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere behind the girls. “You've been here for quite a while.”

“O-Oh, Nelson! Sorry to keep you waiting.” Akko said sheepishly. “It's fine, Sucy's just exhausted is all.”

The broom instructor chuckled. “Well, we'd better get back to Luna Nova, I suspect the higher-ups will be wondering where you are. Don't want them to blow your ear off over this after all!”

She readied her broom with a command of “Tia Freyre”.

“Hop on, girls!” she said. “It's been a while since I've carried two passengers, this'll be interesting!”

Akko hesitated. “Hey, Sucy...” she said, quizzically. “What was it you were gonna say?”

Sucy shook her head.

“...I'll tell you later.”

As it happened, the ride back to Luna Nova was mercifully easy- slow, but easy. There was a minor altercation with Mrs. Finnelan, which fortunately was remedied fairly swiftly once the slight misunderstanding was put to rest, but that aside, the rest of the day passed relatively uneventfully. On the plus side, Akko, Lotte and Sucy were permitted to return to their dorm early.

Akko and Sucy sat next to each other, on the edge of Akko's bed. Lotte had left the room to go to the library, and the two were alone together, chatting about various topics. Sucy had been a little more quiet and withdrawn than usual, but seemed to be in a much better state that before at the very least.

“So yeah, Filipino food is, uh, kind of odd.” said Sucy. “I mean, I'll eat a lot of stuff but balut is too much for me.”

“Yeesh, no kidding!” replied Akko, wincing. “That's just, oh god, that's gross! That kare-kare thing sounds good though.”

“Oh, you'd like that, it's good stuff. Well, assuming you're not allergic to nuts anyway.”

Sucy sighed. “...Ramza made good kare-kare. I wish you could have tried it.”

Akko put a hand on Sucy's shoulder. “Hey, hey now, don't get upset again, everything's gonna be fine!” she said, gently. “I'm here for you, it's OK.”

The pale girl nodded, weakly. “Y-Yeah, sorry about that. I'm trying not to dwell on it, it's just, well, you know.”

“I know, it's fine.” said Akko. “There's nothing to worry about, just chill.”

All of a sudden, something jogged her memory of earlier that day.

“Oh, that's right,” she said, stroking her chin. “Sucy, you said you wanted to tell me something earlier, what was it?”

To her surprise, Sucy blushed.

“W-Well, I, uh...” she mumbled, sounding very shy. “It's nothing really, it's just...well...”

Akko giggled at her friend's bashfulness. “Come on! It's OK if it's embarrassing, you can tell me!” she said, reassuringly. “You don-”

“I love you, Akko.”

Akko went completely silent, and her jaw practically hit the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes chapter 2! Gee golly, writing "in advance" sure is marvelous.
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter is a bit more fluffy, so hopefully if you're sick of melodrama there's a bit less of it. A bit, anyway.


	3. Antivenom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko has saved Sucy from the depths of despair, but Sucy has developed genuine feelings for Akko. Will the Japanese witch be able to manage this overwhelming predicament?

A Mushroom Bouquet

Chapter 3: Antivenom.

“Y-You...” Akko gasped, completely and utterly taken aback. “You l...love me?”

She wanted to laugh it off and pretend nothing had happened, to assume her friend was just pulling her leg. But the honesty in Sucy's voice, not to mention the look of utter, desperate loneliness in her eye, dispelled any such notions.

“...Sucy...” she said, almost completely speechless. The only time she'd been confessed to before was the Cupid Bee incident, and as rattling as that had been, it had obviously been the effects of the bee's enchanted venom. This though? Sucy was quite obviously actually, honestly in love with her.

“...I'm sorry....” murmured Sucy. “I shouldn't have...Please don't hate me...”

Those last four words broke Akko's heart. The pain in Sucy's voice was utterly unbearable. This was no attempt to guilt-trip her or otherwise manipulate her; she was legitimately afraid of Akko resenting her, of losing one of her only true friends.

She didn't know what to do. No matter her reservations about some kind of romantic relationship with Sucy, she couldn't bear to hurt her. She'd suffered enough for one lifetime.

“Sucy....” she said, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. “I...I could never hate you!”

She threw her arms around Sucy, hugging the girl tightly. “Please, Sucy, don't cry anymore! I'll always be here for you! I don't care what you need, I'll do it for you!” she wept. “I just want you to be happy again...so please don't be sad! I'll never leave you alone!”

The Filipino witch hugged her back, holding herself close to Akko.

“...Thank you, Akko.” she said, weakly. “I'm sorry I'm such a pain.”

Akko shook her head, still a little tearful. “Don't apologize, you've done nothing wrong.” she said softly, patting her on the back. “It's OK if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here for you.”

Sucy just hugged her tighter. “God, Akko, you're so nice.” she sighed, wistfully. “I...I really do love you.”

“H-Hey, maybe it's a bit early for that...” said Akko, hesitantly. “I'm sorry, Sucy, it's just, well...I'm not sure how I feel about you in that way.”

“I know, I know.” Sucy said sadly. “It's just, you're the only person I've ever felt like this about.”

She exhaled deeply, still holding on to the Japanese witch.

“Akko...I feel so tired.” she mumbled. “Can we have a rest until dinner?”

“Sure, why not?”

Awkwardly, and a little reluctantly, Sucy unwrapped herself from Akko, before shifting to lie down on the bed. She rolled onto her side, and closed her eye.

Akko gently smiled. She didn't feel particularly tired, all things considered, but if Sucy wanted some time to relax that was more than OK with her, and she'd happily keep her company.

Slowly, she adjusted herself so she was sitting directly next to Sucy. She very carefully cradled Sucy's head in her hands, before resting it on her lap.

“W-What are you doing?” the lilac-haired girl asked, though she was in no way showing any signs of discomfort or resistance.

“Relax, Sucy.” replied Akko. “My mum always used to do this when I needed a nap.”

She softly patted Sucy's head, feeling her hair beneath her fingers, and breathed deeply in. For a few seconds she held the breath; then, she began to sing.

“Nennen korori yo, Okorori yo. Bōya wa yoi ko da, Nenne shina~

Bōya no omori wa, Doko e itta? Ano yama koete, Sato e itta.  
  
Sato no miyage ni, Nani morotta? Denden taiko ni, Shō no fue.”

Sucy gasped. She'd never expected Akko to be able to do that; for certain, she was a bit off key, and she didn't understand a word of the tongue she was singing in, but there was something beautiful about it, and the fact she was doing it just for her was quite touching.

“A-Akko, I never knew you could sing!” she said, astounded. “That's lovely!”

Akko blushed. “O-Oh, it's nothing really! I'm nowhere near as good as Lotte, and it's the only thing I can sing at all, but my mum always used to sing it to me when I was little to get me to sleep.”” she said, slightly embarrassed. “I-I just thought you might like it was all.”

“I...I do.” replied Sucy, very timidly. “Could you sing it again?”

The Japanese girl nodded, and began to recite the lullaby again. Before she'd even finished the final verse, however, she noticed that Sucy was now very quietly snoring, peacefully asleep with her head in her lap. She had to admit, she looked very, very cute like this.

_Sucy, you big baby, _ she thought to herself. W _e're not so different after all._

The door creaked open, and Lotte entered the room.

“Hey, Akko, was tha-”

Akko pointed to Sucy's supine form. “Sssshhh...she's asleep.” she replied.

The Finn blushed a little. “S-Sorry,” she whispered. “But, uh, was that you singing?”

The brown-haired girl looked a bit sheepish. “Yeah. Sorry, it must be pretty painful for someone who can actually sing to listen to, I know.”

“No no, it was good!” said Lotte. “I mean, sure you could do with practice, but you've got a good voice, which is what counts!”

“T-Thanks, Lotte!” Akko was taken aback by the praise; if someone as good at singing as Lotte was commending her ability, maybe she had a hidden talent.

Lotte strode over to the bed and lightly sat down on the edge. She looked at Sucy, who was now fast asleep.

She scratched her head. “Is she OK, Akko?” she asked. “She's been through a lot  recently .”

Akko nodded. “I think, yeah.” she replied. “She just seems a bit stressed out is all.”

“Well, that's something. I was worried sick after she ran off, I'm glad she's doing better.”

She smiled. “She's a real sweetheart, really.” she said, softly. “I just wish she didn't try to hide it all the time.”

“Say, Lotte.” said Akko. “I need to tell you something, but you need not to tell anyone I've told you this.”

The Finn nodded. “Sure, what is it?”

Akko sighed, deeply. She hoped this wasn't going to come back to haunt her.

“...Sucy...told me that she loved me...”

Lotte's cheeks flushed a bright shade of red, and she clapped her hands over her mouth in embarrassment.

“O-O-Oh....I see.” she stammered. “I-I mean- Oh gosh, I don't know what to say...”

The Japanese witch shook her head, slowly. “I'm not sure what to do...I mean, she's one of my best friends, of course, and I really care about her, but I just...I don't know how I feel about her that way.”

“Well, how do you feel about her?”

Akko shrugged. “I dunno, Lotte. I like her, but as a friend, you know?” she said. “I don't think I like her THAT way, but at the same time...”

She paused, sighing with vexation.

“...I just don't want to hurt her.”

Lotte put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, it's OK, I know how you feel. It's tricky when someone you care about needs something you can't give.”

Akko nodded. “Y-Yeah, that's one way of putting it.” she replied. “Like, I dunno if I can be her girlfriend or anything like that, but if I reject her...I think it'd break her heart, and I couldn't forgive myself for that.”

“Well...” said Lotte, stroking her chin. “If you want my opinion, I think you should at least go along with it, even just for her sake. You don't have to go too far or anything, just play along for as long as it takes her to recover emotionally.”

“That...I guess that works.”  
  
Akko looked down at Sucy's unconscious form. She was very still, taking shallow breaths and barely making a sound- but on her face, though very slight, was a rare smile. She couldn't help but feel her heart melt a little, seeing her so calm and contented.

“You're right, Lotte.” she said, decisively. “If it's for Sucy, the least I can do is play along with it.”

Wilma very, very cautiously crept away from the door, clutching the LNNN's skull-topped microphone, with the recording safely stowed onto a memory stone.

This was absolutely perfect. She'd been somewhat annoyed that the photos she'd snapped hadn't completely broken the pair of idiots, but their humiliation in class had still brought her no end of glee. But even if their reputation was in tatters, when she revealed this to that toadstool-obsessed freak, she'd take their friendship from them too.

She hated them, all of them. She'd been a rising star at Luna Nova, a witch of considerable talent and noble bloodline, but these incompetent oafs had come and stolen the limelight, and drawn all the attention towards them. Away from real talent. Away from _her_.

Yes, they'd unsealed the Grand Triskellion. Yes they'd stopped a missile. Yes, all very impressive. But that was not supposed to be their destiny. That glory was not for them- they had stolen it from witches with actual talent, deserving of such heights of fame. Like her.

These “Nine New Witches” as they called themselves were nothing more than a sham. Akko was a brain-dead hick from some far off land nobody cared about, and the rest of them were no better. Between the bookish nerd with a fascination with dreadful literature, the brutish cur with no manners, the fat slob who took nothing seriously, the silent tradition-flaunting midget, the failed entertainer and a literal criminal currently serving time for nearly bathing a city in searing magitomic fire, they were nobodies at best and dangerous frauds at worst. And whilst she respected her for her noble birth and prodigious magical skill, the fact Diana Cavendish was willing to associate with these crooks damned her as well.

The worst though? That..._thing_ from some godforsaken island in Southeast Asia. Wilma firmly believed she wasn't human- nothing that repellent could be. Her matted hair, her foul odour, her crooked stance, her repulsive teeth, her nasal whine of a voice, her deathly pallour, her obsession with poisons, her morbid personality, everything about her was disgusting. And her eye! That diseased-looking, perpetually drowsy eye of hers... Oh, it made her sick.

The absolute state of Luna Nova, allowing fiends like her within its hallowed halls. Still, she was more than willing to undertake a bit of guerilla house-cleaning, for their sake as much as anything.

Now for the next stage of her plan...

It was late, and Akko lay awake in her bed.

The wind was howling outside yet again, and Sucy still wanted to share the bed with her. She didn't mind in principle of course; she'd do anything to help the girl recover somewhat, and the body heat was pleasant, but between the atrocious weather and Sucy being oddly fidgety tonight, it was tough getting to sleep.

She sighed. Sucy had long since fallen into slumber, but something seemed...off. She wasn't as restless as the night before, but she was still a bit twitchy, and she was still making funny noises. Akko just hoped she was alright.

She stared at Sucy's sleeping face. She looked...troubled, somehow, and that worried Akko. Sucy was still very fragile, which was understandable after the double-whammy of awful events, but Akko couldn't help but wonder what would restore her mental fortitude. She didn't want her to retreat back into her shell, of course, but at the same time she was concerned that Sucy would become overly reliant on her. She couldn't be there for her all the time, after all.

Anguish stabbed at the Japanese girl's soul. Seeing a girl as stoic and inscrutable as Sucy reduced to this weak, pitiful state was just heartwrenching, and she couldn't help but feel a little guilty about her conflicting feelings towards her.

For sure, she wasn't exactly convinced that a romantic relationship with Sucy was what she wanted, but at the same time? All she wanted was to mend the girl's broken heart, and she'd do anything to accomplish that.

Akko shifted closer to Sucy, and very gently hugged her, squeezing her in her arms. She leaned in close to the Filipino girl, somewhat hesitantly.

“It's OK, Sucy.” she whispered into her ear. “I'm going to make everything alright.” Then, she gingerly planted a tender kiss on Sucy's forehead.

She closed her eyes, still holding onto Sucy, feeling herself drift off into unconsciousness. Before she had quite fallen asleep, however, she heard the faintest of mumbles from the girl.

“M....” she slurred. “...M...Mama...”

  
Freezing rain lashed at Sucy, as she stumbled through the night down a dark and stony road, without even a moon to guide her.

She was chilled to the bone, with only rags to protect her, and her bare feet were sore and bruised. With no idea where she was, all she could do was follow the road and hope she found somewhere to rest. She was scared, hungry and tired, but she had to press on.

Suddenly, she stepped in a pothole and tripped up, falling flat on her face. She stuck her arms out to try and break her fall, but found she was too weak to stop herself from hitting the ground hard.

Wincing from the pain, she tried to push herself to her feet, but to her horror found she couldn't even do that. She just lay there on the ground, allowing herself to be soaked by the rain.

It was hopeless. All of her strength was gone. She hadn't the willpower to continue. She felt herself beginning to cry, as she contemplated the futility of her situation.

“P-Please...Somebody help me...” she gasped, filled with despair. “I...I don't want to die alone...”

Then, all of a sudden, the rain stopped. The ceaseless cold that had been gnawing at her gave way, to be replaced with a gentle, balmy warmth.

“You're not alone.” came a voice, which at once seemed alien and yet also familiar. “I'm here for you.”

Sucy craned her neck up, and saw the source of the voice. It was a brown-haired, fair-skinned girl of about her age, wearing what looked like a kimono. Despite the darkness, she could see her, clear as daylight. She had delicate, almost elfin features, and a warm smile that held no prejudice or judgement.

“It's OK, Sucy.” said the girl, holding out her hand. “It's time for you to come home.”

Suddenly, Sucy awoke from her dream, her eye flicking open.

She looked around, groggily, still confused by her sudden exit from the dream. It appeared to be morning, judging by the light streaming through the window.

Her gaze was drawn towards her right, where she saw Akko sitting upright, looking down on her. She looked rather troubled. Had she been talking in her sleep again?

“Hey, Sucy.” she said, softly. “Are you alright? You've been asleep a while.”

Sucy nodded, weakly. “I think so. I just had funny dreams is all...what time is it?”

Akko looked at the clock on the table. “About quarter past 11, give or take a few minutes.” she replied. “Anyway, now you're up, we were going to go into Blytonbury today, did you wanna come?”

The Filipino witch smiled. “Yeah, that sounds good.” she said, confidently. “Just gimme a few and I'll get ready.”

The weather had massively improved since yesterday, and the sun was shining brightly in the sky. Blytonbury looked particularly picturesque today, and the streets were bustling with townsfolk and tourists alike.

It was five past twelve, and the three friends had just arrived in the town centre.

“Right, where first?” said Akko, stroking her chin. “I don't know about you, but I could do with a bite to eat!”

Lotte nodded. “That sounds like a plan to me.” she said. “I wonder if that little cafe on the corner of Owl Street is open?”

“Ooh, if that's the one you mean, I could definitely go for that.” piped up Sucy. “They do pretty good stuff.”

Akko beamed. “Sounds good to me!” she said, cheerily. “Let's do it!”

With a unanimous decision reached, the trio strolled down in the general direction of Owl Street, a spring in their step.

“So, Lotte, how's the new Night Fall book?” asked Akko. “I know you were really looking forward to it.”

“Oh, it's pretty good!” responded Lotte. “Annabel has really stepped her game up with this one. There's this really great bit with Edgar and Belle fighting the Persian king Xerxes in a rock-off, it's awesome!”

Akko grinned. “Sounds pretty fun! Maybe I should give it a read.”

“Absolutely! You should both give it a go, it's just the best. Even you'd like it, Sucy!”

Sucy forced a smile. “Well, I might have a try. It does sound fun.”

The threesome eventually reached the corner of Owl Street, where to their great satisfaction the cafe- the Burlap Tea Room- was indeed open. They filed in through the door and took a seat at a table near the window.

“Welcome!” said the waitress, a short-haired girl who had scurried over to greet them as they sat down. “Can I get you anything?”

Akko nodded. “Yes please! I'll have a cream soda and one of those plum tarts, if you don't mind.” she replied. “What do you guys want? My treat!”

“Oh, I'll have a latte and a cream horn, please.” said Lotte. “But Akko, are you sure you're OK paying for this?”

“Sure, why not? Anyway, what about you, Sucy?”

Sucy stared at the menu for a moment. “Hmm...Could I have a hot chocolate and an apricot Danish?” she asked.

The waitress beamed, and nodded. “Of course! I'll bring it to you.” she said, cheerily. “That'll be £7.54 please!”

“Thank you!” said Akko, handing over a slightly crumpled £5 note and a few coins.

Smiling appreciatively, the waitress scooted over to the counter and began to prepare the trio's purchases.

“Anyway,” said Akko, turning to face her friends. “How are you feeling, Sucy? Any better?”

Sucy smiled. “Yeah, thanks. Much better than I have been.” she said, happily. “It's good to have friends like you two.”

Akko blushed. “Aww, shucks, Sucy! You really can be sweet, you know?”

“Heh, can be.” the Filipino responded, mischievously.

The three girls spent the time chatting about miscellaneous topics, mostly fairly mundane, and enjoying their food and drink. Everything was going fairly normally, and everyone was having a good time.

“Yeah, that movie was pretty bad if I remember rightly.” said Lotte. “I'm only sorta into Star Trog but a friend of mine really likes it, and he said the film was a complete disaster.”

“Yikes! How do you screw up something like Star Trog?” replied Akko, sipping the last of her cream soda. “It's not exactly a hard formula to get right!”  
  
Sucy nodded. “I know, it's pretty shocking how badly they bungled it though. They completely changed how the space battles worked, and the actor they got for the main villain was awful. My potted plants could have done a more convincing performance.”

Lotte winced. “I sure hope they don't mess up the Night Fall TV series like that...” she said, cringing slightly at the thought. “Actually, I need the loo, just gimme a sec.”

The other two nodded politely, and Akko shuffled out of the way to let Lotte out, who promptly scampered in the direction of the lavatory.

“Well, that was delicious!” said Akko as she polished off the final piece of her tart. “I'm glad Lotte suggested this place, it's pretty good!”

“It really is, isn't it?” replied Sucy. “I'm not normally into overly sweet things but the stuff they do here just hits the spot.”

She sighed, blushing ever so slightly.

“Akko, thank you. This is fun.” she said, quietly but earnestly. “I'm glad you let me come along.”

The Japanese witch looked a little perplexed. “Hey, don't be silly, Sucy, you can come join us any time.” she replied. “You're my friend, after all.”

Sucy smiled. “Well, thanks anyway. I'm...I'm sorry, I'm getting all emotional again.”

“Don't worry about it, it's cool. Just chill, there's no need to be tense.”

The lilac-haired girl nodded. She stared at the floor, suddenly looking very bashful.

“Say, Akko...About last night.” she said, uneasily. “I, uh, I'm sorry. I hope I didn't creep you out or anything...”

Akko shook her head. “Sucy, it's OK.” she said, softly. “I just want you to be happy. You don't need to be sorry for anything.”

Sucy blushed heavily. “O-Oh...well, thanks. In that case, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but uh...”

She gulped, trying to steel herself for Akko's reaction to what she was about to say.

“...I really do love you, Akko. You're my best friend in the whole world, and-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Akko gently placed a finger on her lips, playfully even. The girl smiled, tenderly.

“Sucy...You really are such a darling...” she cooed, blushing herself. “C'mere, you...”

She leant close in to Sucy, running her hand softly through the girl's hair. Then, very delicately, she kissed her, pressing her lips against Sucy's.

Sucy went completely still, utterly dumbfounded by this sudden, physical declaration of love. It wasn't that she objected- far from it- but she was totally unprepared, having been expecting simple rejection. For Akko to just kiss her like that...

After a few seconds, Akko broke off the kiss, slowly drawing herself back.  
  
“I love you too, Sucy.” she said, breathily.

Sucy was totally silent. Her expression was a slack-jawed mask of shock and confusion, like she wasn't quite able to process what she'd heard.

Then, a look of pure unbridled joy began to take hold of her face, and at last she broke her silence.

“...Akko...” she murmured. “You're an angel, you know that?”

“Uh, I hate to interrupt the moment, but...” cut in Lotte, who had seemingly reappeared without either of them having noticed. “Hadn't we better get a move on? The shops might close if we're not quick.”

The pair jumped slightly, turning to face the Finn, whose face was bright red.

“O-Oh, Lotte!” exclaimed Sucy, suddenly incredibly flustered. “I-I didn't see you there- You didn't- I mean-”

Lotte smiled. “Relax, Sucy. It's OK.” she said, reassuringly. “I don't mind. Besides, you two _are_ cute together.”

“Ah...Oh, thank goodness. I was...I'm sorry, I just....”

She trailed off. Her mind was racing, and her mouth was working faster than her brain. She needed time to collect her thoughts.

“Anyway, Lotte's probably right,” said Akko, breaking the slightly awkward silence. “We should get a move on if we're going to get any shopping done.”  
  


  
Sucy and Akko strolled down the Blytonbury high street together, each holding modestly sized shopping bags. Lotte had become completely sidetracked by a Night Fall exhibition in a small art shop, and had told the pair to go off without her, so they had some time to themselves.

“I'm really glad the weather's improved,” remarked Akko. “I couldn't have stood another day of rain and wind!”

“Me neither.” Sucy replied. “This is much better, and- Oh, hey, look at that!”

She stopped dead in her tracks, before rushing to the window of a small, timber-framed charity shop they'd just walked past. She stared into the window, a look of childish wonder on her face.

Akko was more than a little perplexed. “Hey, Sucy, what've you found?” she said, puzzled.

The lilac-haired girl turned to Akko, expression positively lit up.  
  
“It's a Little Nelly doll!” she exclaimed, happily. “My friend Lailani had one of these when we were kids! I always wanted one, but I haven't seen one in ages!”

The Japanese witch smiled, though she had to admit, she was a little surprised by her friend's enthusiasm for what looked like a slightly dog-eared (if rather pretty) doll. For sure, it was nice to see Sucy happy for a change, but it took some getting used to.

“W-Well, maybe we should go in and take a look at it!” she said, sheepishly. “These shops often have all sorts of cool stuff in them.”

Sucy nodded. “Yeah, I hope you don't mind, I've just got to check out the price. This is possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Akko was actually rather glad that Sucy had dragged her into the charity shop; there were all sorts of interesting knick-knacks and bric-a-brac for sale.

“Huh, this is neat,” she mumbled to herself as she turned over a small metal aeroplane in her hands. “Maybe I should get this for Professor Nelson? ...Nah, I think she might get the wrong idea.”

She turned to see what Sucy was doing, and noticed her in conversation with the store owner, a portly, kind-looking woman with greying hair.

“Well I'll be,” the lady said to Sucy. “You're the first person I've met who recognized it! Are you a collector?”

Sucy shook her head. “Well, not exactly, but an old friend of mine had one when we were little.” she replied. “I've always wanted one ever since, but I've never seen one again.”

“Ah, I see.” said the shopkeeper. “They're quite rare nowadays, unfortunately. I don't think they were ever sold outside of Asia. I'm very surprised this even made it over here really.”

“O-Oh. Right, that'd explain it.”

She sighed. “I suppose it'll be out of my budget, but...can I have a closer look at it?”

The lady smiled, warmly. “Of course, darling! Just be careful, alright?”

The proprietor reached into the window display, delicately picking her way past various items, before retrieving the doll from its resting place. Gently, she lifted it from the display and handed it over to Sucy, slowly and steadily.  
  
“Here you go!” she said as she passed the doll to the young witch.

Sucy gingerly held the doll in her hands, turning it over and examining it. Wonderful memories flooded back of her best friend's Little Nelly; the pudgy body shape, the big round head with its curly red hair, the simple but charming face, the yellow chequered dress, the little enamel pin on its chest... It was a bit tatty here and there, with some fraying on the stitching of her dress, and some minor water damage on one arm, but considering it had probably been made in the 50s it was in very good condition.

“Oh, she's lovely...” mumbled Sucy. “I just wish I could- Hang on a second...No, it couldn't be...”

Something seemed very familiar about this particular doll. It seemed like more than simple nostalgia; she _knew_ it from somewhere.  
  
She flipped it over carefully, looking for the nametag on the back of the dress. To her relief it still had it attached. She took a closer look.

“This...This is...”

Though faded with age, and written in a child's scribbled handwriting, Sucy immediately recognized the name on the tag.

_LAILANI MANBAVARAN_

“Is everything alright?” said the lady. “You look a little weak, do you need to sit down?”

Sucy shook her head. “This...This doll belonged to my friend...” she gasped. “I'm sorry, could you give me a moment?”

She passed the Little Nelly back to the shopkeeper, and turned to Akko.

“That doll, it's the same doll Lailani had when we were kids!” she said, overcome with emotion. “I can't believe it, it's a miracle!”  
  
Akko beamed. “Oh, that's amazing!” she replied. “How much is it?”

“Well, normally it'd be £30,” said the old lady. “But given the circumstances I'll give it to you for £15.”

Akko nodded with a determined look on her face. “We'll take it! Here, let me get my money out.”

“Hey, Akko, you don't need to pay for it all!” Sucy said, taken aback somewhat. “Let me chip in!”

“Don't worry, it's fine! This is meant, it'd be wrong not to, and you haven't got enough money...”

Sucy shook her head. “I know, but, you paid for the food. Here, at least take my last £5.”

“Well, OK, if you insist...”

The two witches strolled back towards the meeting point they'd arranged with Lotte. Sucy cradled the Nelly doll in her arms, looking happier than she had in a while.

Akko thought over the events of the past few days. It hadn't been easy at all; of all the trials that Luna Nova and the search for the Words had thrown at her, none of them quite compared to this. But seeing Sucy so happy and carefree, it somehow made it worth it. And the fact _she'd_ helped get her to this state, it made her proud, like she'd done something genuinely good and worthwhile.

She wasn't _entirely_ sure the kiss was perhaps her brightest idea for certain, but hey, you have to break a few legs to make an omelette. Or however that phrase went, anyway.

Still, things seemed to be going well. She just hoped they carried on that way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes chapter 3! Unfortunately, that also concludes the chapters I had already prepared. The next chapter might take a while as a result, but hopefully it'll be worth the wait.


	4. Kindness, Cruelty, Passion, Pain.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sucy's broken heart is on the mend, it would seem, much to Akko's relief- and Akko's feelings for the orphaned witch may be deeper than she thought. But Sucy is anything but low-maintenance, and even now her friends worry for her stability.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CAUTION: Whilst as always strictly clean and entirely SFW, this chapter contains themes that some readers may find upsetting, distressing or uncomfortable. You have been warned.

A Mushroom Bouquet

Chapter 4: Kindness, Cruelty, Passion, Pain.

  
“Well, that was wonderful!” exclaimed Akko, as the trio strolled through the gates of Luna Nova. “Not a bad day, huh?”

The other two witches nodded in hearty agreement. “Not bad at all!” said Lotte, cheerfully. “I'm glad we did this, this was fun!”

Akko was feeling on top of the world. Sucy, who'd been so low recently, was not merely restored to her former self, but seemed to be much happier than she'd been all the time Akko had known her. She'd enjoyed a great day out with her best friends, and everything seemed to be going well at long last. Even the weather was better.

She turned to Sucy, who was still happily holding onto her doll. “So, how are you doing now?” she asked. “Feeling better?”

The girl grinned. “Yeah, much better, thanks.” she said, happily. “I haven't been this good in a while.”

“Awesome! I'm glad to hear it, hehe!” Akko laughed. “Everything's gonna be fine, just you wait and see!”

She certainly hoped it was, anyway. Something was bugging her, but she didn't want it to spoil the good time they were having; there was no point bringing the mood down with pessimistic conjecture after all.

...But still, she couldn't help but be puzzled by yesterday's events. How had those photographs been taken? And who had taken them in the first place?

Oh well, no need to worry about that now, she thought. It was a good day, and she was going to enjoy it.

  
Lotte and Akko sat either side of the library table by the window, a few books scattered about. Lotte had suggested a brief study session to make up for yesterday, though Sucy had headed back to the dorm, presumably to spend some quality time with her doll. Akko suspected there was an ulterior motive behind this “study session” but as she needed to revise some subjects anyway she had no reason to object.  
  
“Huh, I had no idea Septagrams were even still used nowadays.” said Lotte, as she leafed through a copy of _Magical Symbolism and Sacred Geometry (XIIIth Edition)_. “I thought they stopped using them due to their difficulty in controlling their power.”

The Japanese witch stroked her chin. “I suppose with seven being the strongest magical number, they're bound to be hard to use. I heard they're mainly used for heavy duty magic purposes though.”

She sighed. “But what's up Lotte? None of these are books for our current subjects, you're obviously stalling for something.”

Lotte laughed, sheepishly.

“There's no getting anything past you, is there?” she said playfully. “But yeah, I did want to ask- weren't you taking it a bit far today?”

“Eh? Oh, I suppose I was being a bit careless with my allowance, but I could see how much that thing meant to-”

The Finn shook her head. “No, silly. I mean...kissing Sucy. It was a bit...sudden? I mean, I know you said you wanted to play along, but that was something else.”

“...Ah.” Akko blushed profusely, suddenly looking very awkward. “W-Well...I suppose you're right, it was a bit much. But...”

She breathed out, slowly. “...I felt so bad for her, Lotte. She...she deserves better. I just- I wanted her to feel loved. And besides...”

Lotte looked slightly puzzled. “Besides?”

“...No, never mind, I don't know where I'm going with this.”

For a moment, the red-haired witch stared at Akko quizzically. Then she smiled, in her usual knowing but gentle manner.

“I see, Akko.” she said. “You're actually falling for her a little, aren't you?”

“Well...I suppose so, a little.” the Japanese girl mumbled. “I mean, she IS cute, and- well, I don't know how to put this, but I kinda wanna take her home with me.”

“Awwww!” came a soft and cheery voice from behind her. “Akko, that's so adorable!”

Akko practically jumped out of her skin, jolting her head around in shock. Jasminka, Amanda and Constanze were standing behind her, all wearing mischievous smiles.

“G-Gah! Please, don't sneak up on me like that!” she spluttered. “For crying out loud, I- Oh god, what did you hear?!?”

Jasminka chuckled. “Oh, we heard everything! But there's nothing to worry about, we don't mind one bit!”

Amanda nodded. “Yeah, it's cool, Akko. I mean, I'm not sure Sucy is my type but you two would be cute together.” she said, earnestly. “And anyways, if anyone could mend her broken heart, it's you.”

“O-Oh...Well, uh, thanks guys...” Akko replied, bashfully. “I mean, it's not...it's not weird, two girls being together, is it?”  
  
“Nah, not one bit. If you click, you click.”

Constanze nodded in agreement, the usually taciturn witch wearing a broad smile.

“Seriously, though.” resumed Amanda. “If you two like each other that way, ain't nobody here is gonna be judgin'. And if anyone tries giving you grief over it, just lemme know, I'll give 'em hell.”

The chestnut-haired girl couldn't help but smirk. That was such a typically Amanda thing to say.

“Hey, thanks guys.” she said, somewhat relieved. “It's good to have friends like you.”

“Don't worry about it, we're just doing our bit to help.” said Jasminka, the rotund Russian removing a small chocolate bar from her pocket as she did. “But I must ask, what about her makes you want to take her home?”

Akko's face once again went bright red. “E-Ehhhhh, that's a bit of a personal question, isn't it...?”

“C'mon, Akko, spill the beans!” joined in Amanda. “What is it that you like about her?”

“Aww, this isn't fair!” gasped Akko. “Lotte, stick up for me here!”

The Finn chuckled girlishly. “Well, I'm curious too, you're obviously more into her than you'd like to admit!” she giggled.

The Japanese witch turned to Constanze, but alas even she had a playful grin on her face.

She sighed, slumping her shoulders. “Well...It's complicated.” she said at last. “But like, for all her act of being this snarky tough girl, she's so soft and delicate inside.”

She shook her head. “Deep down she's such a nice girl, and I- I dunno, I just wanna mother her and tell her everything will be OK...” she continued. “I'd never felt like this until...”

“Until?”

Akko exhaled, deeply. “...Until I'd seen her suffering like this...I don't think I'd ever seen the real Sucy until now, but I never want her to hurt like that again.”

The other girls sat in stunned silence. None of them had quite been expecting that.  
  
Then, finally, Jasminka broke the silence.

“That's really sweet of you, Akko...” she said, quietly. “Caring so much about her, that's what real love's about.”

Akko thought to herself as she wandered back to her dorm room, Lotte having elected to stay in the library. She'd been caught off guard by the conversation she'd had with Lotte and Amanda's room-mates; she wasn't upset about it or anything like that, but it had given her food for thought.  
  
She'd been intending to merely play along with the act of returning Sucy's feelings out of simple charity and friendship to begin with, but now? Now she wasn't sure it was an act. Since that kiss in the cafe, she couldn't help but feel her relationship with Sucy was more than simple friendship.

She had never been overly fussed with romance for the longest time; it was something she thought was nice, but she'd always assumed it just happened to other people. Sure, she'd had some attraction towards the dashing, aloof Andrew, and she had no small amount of admiration for Diana, but the former was way out of her league, and the latter she viewed as a big sister figure more than anything else. And in both cases, neither of them would have any trouble finding love.

Sucy, though? Something about her...intrigued Akko. At the same time, she both admired and pitied her. She was like Schrödinger’s Cat, simultaneously strong and weak- reserved and stoic in the face of adversity, but also vulnerable and desperately lonely. That anyone could have maintained that veneer of indifference for so long after what she'd been through, it amazed her that she was as strong as she was, but she felt so sorry for the poor girl.

It was more than mere pity, though. She wasn't just an unfortunate everygirl who had been dealt a bad hand; she was a truly unique person, one who quite frankly should have received some kind of award for what she'd survived. Yes, she had been unkind and mischievous on occasion, but considering how she _could_ have turned out given her experiences, she was a saint, and Akko had deep respect for her hardiness. If anyone deserved someone to love them, it was her.

And it had to be admitted, now that she really, really _knew_ her, she wasn't a difficult person to love. Whilst not conventionally beautiful (or conventionally _anything_, really) she was not unattractive; her alabaster skin, her ghostly lilac bob, her lithe, slender figure, her haunting features, and even her sharp piranha-teeth all added up to someone that was as perplexing yet lovely on the outside as inside. She was otherworldly, ethereal even, but in a strangely appealing way. And whilst for most of their time together she had occasionally had a rather funny idea of “friendship” she'd always been there for Akko when she needed it most. She'd always helped her even with her most hare-brained projects and schemes, and at her lowest point- the discovery of the truth behind her trouble with magic- she had supported her. She'd been the one to return her Shiny Rod to her on the cold night after all.

Yes, maybe she wasn't the most immediately obvious choice for a soulmate, at least to the untrained eye. But that was irrelevant; Akko knew that the most obvious choice was not always the best one.

And in all honesty? She truly did love her.  
  
Just like Sucy herself, the love she felt for her was unusual. But also like Sucy, that didn't make it any less wonderful.

“Sucy, I'm back!”

The dorm room door swung open and Akko strode in, smiling cheerily as usual. Sucy, perched on the edge of her bed, looked up from the book she'd been reading with her doll and beamed.

“Oh, hello again!” she said, happily. “Good study session?”

Akko nodded as she plopped down onto her bed. “Yeah, great, thanks.” she replied. “I swear I've still not gotten my head around Tarot despite reading through the books over 5 times but maybe that's just me being dim?”

Sucy grinned, naughtily. “Well, I was gonna say that Tarot is a nightmare to interpret correctly but, uh, that's always a possibility too, heh heh.”

“W-What's that meant to mean!?” spluttered Akko, playfully feigning upset. “Honestly Sucy, I thought you'd changed!”

“Sorry, couldn't resist.” chuckled the lilac-haired witch. “I'm only teasing you because I love you.”

The two girls shared a much-needed giggle. Akko had to admit, if Sucy ever stopped the occasional jabs completely, she'd be very concerned indeed.

“Ha, yeah, I know.” said Akko, light-heartedly. “But it's OK, I love you too, I can take it.”

Sucy blushed slightly. “Y-Yeah...I'm sorry, I'm never quite going to get used that.”

“Huh?”

The Filipino girl shook her head. “Oh, nothing, it's just...When you say that, it makes my heart flutter a bit.”

Akko smiled softly. “You mean, “I love you”? Well, you better get used to it, you're gonna be hearing it a lot, heh heh.”

Sucy averted her gaze, her face now a bright red and generally looking rather bashful. “Y-Y-Yeah...Sorry, I don't think many people have ever told me that...”

She paused briefly, then met gazes with Akko again, her expression dreamy.

“...Not that I mind...”

Akko said nothing- she didn't need to, for her eyes said more than words ever could.

The two witches stood up from their beds, and stared into each other's eyes. Slowly they stepped towards each other, with some trepidation.

Then, in a split second, they spontaneously embraced, locking lips as they did so.

It was a deep, intimate kiss, much more intense than the light and chaste peck Akko had given Sucy in the cafe. This was born of yearning and passion that neither of them even knew they had until that exact moment- this was a lover's kiss.  
  
The pair practically fell onto Akko's bed, Akko on top of Sucy, wrapping their arms around each other as they continued the kiss and pressing their bodies against one another. Right now, anything could be happening and neither would have noticed; they were completely and utterly consumed with passion, with the need for closeness. And yet there was no lust or carnality in the embrace- just pure, innocent fulfilment of the need for love they both had.

For what seemed like an age, the kiss went on; then finally they broke off, still both clinging together.

“Oh, god, Akko...” gasped Sucy. “It...It feels so right...I love you so much!”

Akko nodded, breathing heavily. “And...I love you too...” she replied, overcome with emotion. “I'll never let anything hurt you again...”

She ran her hands over Sucy's body, feeling the girl's warmth beneath her touch. Gently, she planted a row of kisses down Sucy's cheek, and onto her neck.

It was then that disaster struck.

The next few moments were something of a blur; maybe Akko accidentally lost track of where her hands were, or maybe she was kissing a bit too fiercely. But regardless, it released something Sucy had tried to bury for a long, long time.

“N-No, stop, stop.” mumbled Sucy, her voice beginning to crack. “S-S-Stop...STOP!”  
  
She pushed Akko away and practically leapt off the bed, scurrying into the corner of the room like a frightened animal, quivering with fear.

Akko sat up, completely baffled by this sudden shocking change in demeanour. “S-Sucy! What was...what's wrong?” she spluttered.

She scratched her head- then her heart sank. Sucy was curled up in a ball, trembling with absolute terror, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears again. Her visible eye stared at Akko with a dreadful look of long-suppressed pain.

“Oh...Oh god...” shuddered Akko, realizing what she'd done. “What happened, Sucy?”

Sucy just shook her head.

“I...I don't want to talk about it...” she replied, barely maintaining what little composure she had left. “I can't...It hurts too much...”

Realization dawned on Akko, and she felt the colour drain from her cheeks.

“Sucy...Oh god, oh god, Sucy, I- I'm so sorry...” she gasped, tearfully. “I had- I had no idea...I didn't mean to-”

The girl shook her head again. “N-No, Akko...It's OK. You...you weren't to know.” she said, attempting a very weak smile. “I'm sorry...I ruined it, it's my fault.”

Akko sniffled a bit. “Hey, hey, it's not your fault at all. Don't blame yourself.” she said, struggling not to cry. “Are you going to be alright?”

She nodded, weakly. “Yeah...I'll be OK...” she murmured. “Just...Just hold me, please. Nothing else, for now.”

Sucy picked herself off the floor and paced back over to the bed, before clambering back next to Akko. Gingerly, the Japanese girl hugged her, holding her closely and paying particular attention to where she was putting her hands.

“...Akko...” Sucy mumbled. “Forgive me. I'm a terrible girlfriend.”

Akko only held onto her tighter.

“So anyway, d'ya think she's OK?” Amanda said to Lotte, as they and her two room-mates sat around a cafeteria table. “I hope she's not under too much pressure at the moment. Juggling her studies and poor Sucy must be kinda tough.”

“Oh, I'm not too worried about Akko.” replied the Finn, pensively. “She's pretty hardy, and when she sets her heart on something she never gives up.”

She sighed. “It's Sucy I'm worried about. Something's  _off_ about her.”

Amanda scratched her head. “Ya think? I dunno, all things considered she seems to be doin' pretty well.”

“I don't mean to be rude, but you don't know her like I do.” Lotte said. “She looks happy, but...I get this feeling that she's using Akko as a coping mechanism.”

Jasminka took a pause from her bag of Mystic Munch. “Oh? What makes you think that?” she asked.

The bespectacled witch  continued . “Like, for all we've always known her as this emotionally invulnerable spooky girl, I think she's always tried to project this image of a creepy weirdo to keep people away, to stop herself getting hurt.” she explained. “But now, instead of relying on keeping everyone away, she's relying on keeping Akko as close as possible.”

“I'm no psychologist but, that's not good,” said Amanda. “So you think she won't be able to manage without Akko?”

Lotte nodded. “Precisely. And...I'm scared for her. I'm scared she'll never be able to cope with real life without someone to rely on...or worse, some _thing_ .”

“...Something?”

The Finn shook her head. “Well, you know how much she likes mushrooms.” she said, her voice heavy with concern. “I...I just hope she doesn't start taking the wrong sort, if you catch my drift.”

Her three companions visibly cringed.

“Oh crikey, I hadn't thought of that...” said Amanda, wincing. “Yeah, oh god, I _really_ hope she doesn't do anything stupid like that.”

“Well, I-”

“Extra, Extra!” came an unmistakably loud and enthusiastic voice from behind the four girls, amplified by a megaphone. “Luna Nova News Network materiel marauded by mysterious malefactor! All assistance in apprehending appropriator appreciated!”

“Oh, hello Wangari!” said Jasminka, turning to face the energetic African. “What's wrong?”

The reporter lowered the megaphone. “Ah, I'm glad you asked!” she said, not much quieter even without the amplifier. “Someone's broken into the LNNN supply cupboard and pilfered our camera and microphone! A truly heinous crime, I'm sure you'll agree!”

Amanda sighed. “What a weird thing to do...” she muttered. “You'd think people would have better things to do with their time than steal stuff like-”

“Hang on a second!” interrupted Lotte. “Did you say they stole your camera, Wangari?”

Wangari nodded. “They sure did!” she replied. “Faetonic M-SLR 30-C, if you see it! Why, do you have a lead?”

“I might do! But first I need to know, have you heard about what happened to Sucy?”

The dark-skinned witch suddenly looked very sombre. “I- I did, yes.” she said, uncharacteristically quietly. “That was awful...I didn't write anything about it, if you're wondering, I thought it'd be best not to poke my nose in such sensitive business.”

“Right. Well, someone played a really mean prank on her lately with photos taken without her knowledge,” Lotte continued. “And I have a hunch that same person is the one that took your camera.”

Wangari's energetic expression returned. “Thank you, Lotte, you're a genius!” she exclaimed. “And if my journalistic experience is anything to go by, it'd be someone with an axe to grind against Sucy. Now, who would have a gripe with her...”

Suddenly, the exact same thought leapt to all five girls.

“_Wilma!_” they all exclaimed in unison- even the normally silent Constanze.

“Oh no, this is _bad_.” groaned Amanda. “If she's got her hands on recording devices, and she's being her usual vicious self...”

Lotte's face went white as a sheet. “Good grief, who knows what she might do next? We have to get that stuff back before something awful happens!”

Jasminka balled her hands into fists, her face taking a rare and disconcerting frown.  
  
“That evil, spiteful hag...” she muttered under her breath. “Why, I ought to-”

“We'll worry about her comeuppance later!” interrupted Wangari, making a mental note to never make Jasminka upset. “First things first, we have to let the staff know about this!”

  
“Right, everyone, thank you for coming.” said Principal Holbrooke, settling down in her chair. “Before we begin this meeting I'd like to apologize for the rather impromptu nature of its arrangement, and I hope it hasn't caused too much inconvenience for anyone, but I felt there were some matters that needed urgently discussing.”

“Oh, it's no worry!” said Ursula, understandingly. “But anyway, what's the matter?”

The Principal gestured to Lukic, who stood up from her seat.

“There's been a recent spate of incredibly nasty business that's been occurring within this establishment.” Lukic said, the ancient professor hanging her head in sadness. “I don't think we need to go into any great detail, but the disturbance in yesterday's History of Magic lesson was greatly concerning.”

“Yes, I remember that.” muttered Mrs. Finnelan. “Extremely distasteful, though I am rather troubled by the...content of those photographs. Call me old-fashioned, but I feel that it does highlight rather improper behaviour on the part of the two involved.”

Mrs. Badcock rolled her eyes. “For goodness' sake, Anne, don't be daft.” she scoffed. “Miss Manbavaran had just lost her only family and wanted to be comforted. And quite frankly we have bigger fish to fry than a pair of girls being overly affectionate.”

“It's true,” interjected Nelson. “I helped recover Sucy after that whole sordid affair, and the state she was in, it was hard to bear quite frankly. She doesn't need telling off for being too clingy, she needs support, and she definitely _doesn't_ need an as-yet unidentified bully at large trying to humiliate her.”

Finnelan nodded. “Absolutely, and let it be known that the first order of business should be catching the perpetrator and punishing them accordingly.” she said. “I didn't mean to sound unsympathetic towards the victims of this incident, not by any stretch. I suppose I'm concerned for their emotional well-being is all, and I don't want Sucy's understandable grief to negatively impact on her or her friends' time here.”

“That is fair, I feel.” said Lukic. “But, I feel we must be exceptionally careful when dealing with the Manbavaran girl at the moment. We have a duty of care towards her, and given her...unique past, I feel we may need to be flexible with regular protocol.”

Sliding her hand into her robe, she produced a small folder of parchments.

“Contained within this dossier is all the background information I could gather on Sucy Manbavaran, including correspondence with the tragically late Ramza.” she continued. “It makes for eye-opening reading, and I fear we have become complacent over her in light of the recent events regarding Croix and the Shiny Rod mess- not that I'm blaming you for a second, Ursula, I hasten to add.”

She passed the various documents around the room, handing bundles to everyone in attendance.

“Good lord, Lukic...” said Badcock. “This is...I had no idea that her past was so...traumatic.”

Lukic nodded, sadly. “Indeed, it is rather sobering.” she responded. “I had hoped that this would never need to be reread, but as it stands I feel that was foolish on my part.”

“Lukic,” said Holbrooke, who looked rather shocked by what she was reading. “You and I are the only ones here who were here when she was, but alas my memory is failing in my old age. What can you tell me of Ramza?”

“She was one of my best students when she was learning here,” the old witch replied. “And she was always a lovely, kind and compassionate girl. I think she too was orphaned, and she wanted to start her orphanage to help children who were in her situation.”

The principal folded her arms. “I see...I'm surprised that Sucy had such a terrible time if she was in the care of someone as kind as her, then. What went wrong?”

Lukic's expression became downcast.

“Ramza's kindness and generosity were never in doubt.” she said. “She loved every child she took on as if they were her own. But she was never particularly wealthy, and by the time Sucy was in her care she was also very old. I suspect she simply couldn't protect her as well as she might have wanted to.”

She paused, before unfolding a small piece of paper.

“We stayed in contact for some time,” she carried on. “This was the last letter she wrote me, before she passed.”

She withdrew her wand and flicked it at the letter, which began to hover and fluttered into the centre of the room. As it did so, the script upon the letter glowed and began to float from the page, enlarging and becoming readable to everyone in the room.

_My dearest Prof. Lukic,_

_I am writing this letter to let you know that I am well, though perhaps not as well as I would like. I am feeling the ravages of time affecting me more and more each day, and I fear greatly for those still in my care should I slip my mortal coil. Nevertheless, I am working tirelessly to keep things ship-shape, and to maintain a positive outlook._

_I sincerely hope that Sucy is doing well. I know she arrived at Luna Nova recently, and I am confident she will be safe in your capable hands. Please, for the love of all that we hold dear, keep an eye on her. I have done my best to look after her, but of all the children I have taken care of, none have been quite so troubled as her. Despite my absolute best efforts, some of the other children have been extremely cruel to her, and whilst she tries her best to be strong, bless her, she is a very fragile little thing and needs to be handled with great care and attention._

_Sometimes, I feel like I have let her down. Even with my age and the frailness that comes with it, I wish I had seen the signs that she was being picked on before it was too late. In particular, there is one event I shall not discuss in any detail that I can never forgive myself for allowing to come to pass, and it haunts me to this day. However, from my experience with you as a teacher, and all the other wonderful staff at Luna Nova, I have confidence that you will not repeat my mistakes and will let her have a happy, fulfilling time there._

_Enclosed is all the information on Sucy you will need to know to keep her looked after- everything from her favourite food (fried mushrooms in peanut sauce) to what she likes to do in her spare time. I entrust that you will take heed of it._

_One last warning; though she should not be told until you are certain she is ready, I am fairly certain her Evil Eye is utterly incurable. I have cured many curses in my time but never have I encountered such a persistent and powerful curse on someone before. The fact she is even alive is a credit to her inner strength; I wonder if she has the blood of the Aswang witch clans in her._

_In any event, I hope all is well at your end, and I wish the best for you and everyone at the school. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Professor, and I'm confident you'll show Sucy the same care and understanding you showed me all those years ago._

_Yours,_

_Ramza Manbavaran._

Gradually, the words began to fade from view again, and the letter returned to Lukic's hand.

“I may be an old potions mistress with a nostalgic streak too long for my own good,” she said. “But to me at least, our priorities are clear. We must find the culprit behind this travesty, bring them to account, and do our absolute damnedest to ensure the safety and well-being of Sucy and her friends. Anything less would be abandonment of our duties.”

The other staff nodded in agreement, some adding a “Hear, hear” of encouragement.

“In that case, we should begin to investigate the best means of going about this.” said Holbrooke, decisively. “Now, does anyone have any immediate suggestions?”

The others began to pipe up with various ideas, and discourse began in its earnest on how to solve the problem. But even with this clear concerted effort, Lukic couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

_Ramza, my star pupil..._ she thought to herself.  _Forgive me. I have failed you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so concludes the fourth chapter. I hope this wasn't too dark; I'm dedicated to keeping this fic relatively "family friendly" (and let me assure you, any snuggly stuff in future chapters will be no more graphic- most likely even less so- than the brief scene in this one), however as this fic is something of an exploration of putting heavier themes into LWA without hopefully entering edgelord territory, I felt the somewhat darker tone was necessary. Some anvils need to be dropped, and all.
> 
> A small note for those interested: Aswang, in Filipino mythology, are albino witches/vampires/things (it varies from area to area). They originated from Spanish colonial attempts to undermine the prominence of magical healers in the native population by demonizing them as flesh-eating monsters. Curiously enough, a lot of the healers that became known as "Aswang" originated from communities with unusually high levels of Albinism. Of course, in the LWAverse where magic is a real and accepted thing, presumably some of these communities survived and carried on their practices and bloodline, reclaiming the name Aswang.
> 
> In any event, thank you as always for sticking with this.
> 
> Next chapter: Drama! Tension! Even more blatant abuse of punctuation! And maybe, MAYBE something to lighten the mood a bit!


	5. All Things Must End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All stories must reach their conclusion, eventually. But for Akko and Sucy, will that conclusion be joyous, or tragic?

A Mushroom Bouquet

Chapter 5: All Things Must End.

“Lotte's taking an awfully long time...”

It had been an hour since Akko had returned from the library; an hour since that damnable kiss, and an hour the two girls had spent just hugging each other, longingly. Neither of them had any problem with spending the time cuddling, but Lotte's extended absence was becoming disconcerting. Surely she'd be finished by now?

“Yeah...I mean, Lotte likes to study, but,” mumbled Akko. “This _is_ getting a bit silly now.”

Sucy nodded in agreement. “Hmm...Should we go look to see if we can find her?” she suggested, hesitantly. “I hope she's alright.”

She wasn't entirely sure _why_ her friend might not be alright, of course; Lotte wasn't a natural troublemaker or particularly accident prone, so really there shouldn't be any concern. But Sucy, for whatever reason, had an unshakeable hunch that all was not well, that something was wrong. Call it intuition, call it paranoia, whatever, but the girl had a sense for misfortune. A grim gift for certain, but one that had its uses.

“Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a wander down there, just in case.” Akko said, with no small amount of reluctance.  
  
“Right. Come on, let's take a look for her.”  
  
The two girls disentangled themselves from each other's arms and rolled off of the bed, before striding over to the door. Akko reached for the door handle, but stopped her hand just short of it.

Sucy looked puzzled. “What's wrong, Akko?”

The Japanese girl looked over her shoulder, hesitantly.

“Are you _sure_ you're OK, Sucy?” she asked, concernedly. “Something's wrong, I can tell.”

Sucy just shook her head. “Everything's fine, Akko,” she answered, weakly. “I'm just still a bit shaken up from, well, you know...But it's OK, I'll be alright, as long as I'm with you.”

Akko turned back to the door. “Well, OK then...” she said as she opened the door.

_I just hope you'll be OK whenever you're not..._ she thought, her heart heavy.

“Huh, that's strange.” Sucy said, perplexed somewhat. “The library's totally empty.”

Akko scratched her head. “Well, maybe they went somewhere else? There's all sorts of places they might have headed.”

The Filipino nodded. “I suppose, but...I dunno, something seems wrong somehow.” she replied, uneasily.

“Well, we'll find out soon enough, just gotta have a look around.” said the Japanese witch, shrugging. “They won't be far.”

She turned back to the library door and swung it open, and nearly walked straight into Diana, who was clutching a pile of books.

“O-Oh, I am _so _sorry!” she spluttered, recoiling a little. “Gah, I'm so clumsy...is everything OK?”

Diana's expression seemed oddly ill at ease, troubled even. Akko had a horrible feeling she was in for a “Diana lecture”- even with their fast friendship she never enjoyed those.

“I'm...A little concerned about you two, Akko.” she said at last, her tone sombre. “I don't mean to sound unsympathetic towards your circumstances, but...”

Akko cocked her head, confused. “But what?” she queried. “Is something wrong?”

At last, Diana sighed. “Well, I have to be honest, this newfound relationship you two seem to have, it's...I don't think it's entirely healthy.”

A whirlwind of emotions flashed across Akko's face, from shock to betrayal to anger, and finally to disappointment.

“W-What's that supposed to mean?” she exclaimed. “C'mon, Diana, there's no harm being done! We like each other, is that so bad?”

The Cavendish shook her head, exasperatedly. “I know this is going to be hard to hear, Akko,” she said, trying her best to remain reserved. “But I feel it's not going to do either of you any good. I know you want to help Sucy, but you're making her dependent on you. That's not what you want for Sucy, is it?”

Akko felt her temper rise. “Hey, hey now, if it weren't for me I dread to think how poor Sucy would be! I've been keeping her afloat almost single-handedly!”

“That's exactly my point, Akko. You're doing all this by yourself, and I don't think you can keep it up.”

“Yeah? Well I don't see you doing much to help!” the brown-haired girl snapped.

Diana was taken aback. She hadn't expected Akko to react quite like that.

“It's true, I should have done more to help, and I'm sorry,” she said, beginning to lose composure. “But Akko, this isn't sustainable. You need to give her some space. You can't keep carrying a burden with no support forever.”

That did it. That was the last straw.

Akko advanced on Diana. “Is...that what you think she is? A burden?” she said, a quiet fury in her voice. “Sucy's not just some broken toy, Diana, she's a normal girl like you and me, and she deserves to be loved the same as anyone!”

“Akko, I di-”

The girl continued. “She's been through so much, and she's had nobody! I'm not going to sit by and watch her suffer, Diana, I can't stand it anymore! You know why, Diana? Because I love her! I love her and I won't let anyone or anything hurt her ever again!”

She clenched her fists, feeling herself getting  cho ked up.

“You're my friend, Diana, but...sometimes you can be so cold!”

With that, she took Sucy by the hand and stormed out of the library.

Diana just shook her head, sadly.

“Akko...” she muttered. “You can be so immature...”

“Honestly, I can't believe her!” Akko exclaimed as she strode through the hallway. “She of all people should know better!”

She felt double-crossed by the Cavendish. She'd hoped that she of all people would be understanding and supportive, but what she'd said had been of no help at all. It was like everything she'd come to like about her had faded away to be replaced by the callous girl she'd first met.

“Really, I'm so sorry about that, we shouldn't have-”

“Akko...” interrupted Sucy. “Am I a burden?”

Akko looked absolutely mortified. “Of course not, Sucy! I love you more than anything else in the world, and I don't care what I have to do to keep you safe, I'll do it!”

Sucy stared at the floor, mournfully.

“You can be honest,” she said. “I don't mind. Please don't lie to spare my feelings.”

The chestnut-haired girl felt like there was a lead weight in her stomach. She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing- did Sucy really think that poorly of herself?

She put a hand on Sucy's shoulder, trying her hardest to smile.

“Sucy, you could be the biggest burden in the world and I wouldn't care. I love you.” she said, with her trademark utterly genuine honesty. “I don't care what anybody says, you're precious to me.”

The Filipino just about managed a meek smile. “Akko, you're too nice for your own good.” she said, timidly. “I can't believe I used to think you were such a dummy.”

Akko grinned, mischievously and a little sheepishly. “I mean, you weren't wrong...”

Sucy just about stifled a giggle.

“Oh, shush you!” she sniggered. “I'm supposed to be the snarky one here, don't steal my thunder!”

The Japanese witch beamed. “Hey, I've gotta have _some_ annoying traits, I wouldn't wanna-”

“Don't worry about that, you've got plenty.” came a particularly bilious voice from behind them. “I would list them, but I'd be as wrinkled as Lukic by the time I was halfway done.”

The two girls jumped slightly, startled by the intrusion, and turned to face the source of the jab. To their horror, Wilma was standing before them, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

“Oh come _on_, not you again...” gasped Akko with irritation. “Why do you have to hang around the place like a bad smell?”

The Swede smirked. “You'd know all about bad smells, given you're cozying up to that...thing.” she spat, pointing at Sucy. “Or did you think I hadn't noticed your unnatural love affair?”

Sucy grinned wickedly, piranha-teeth gleaming. “Good grief, Wilma, that's a bit old-fashioned of you, isn't it?” she said, with a cutting wit Akko had begun to miss a little. “I mean, just because we're both girls doesn't-”

“I don't mean that.” interrupted Wilma. “I don't give two hoots that you're both girls, but improper relations between woman and beast are frowned upon even here.”

Akko's hands balled into fists. “Haven't you got anything better to do than be horrible to people, you cow?!?” she snapped. “What did she ever do to you?”

“How long have you got? She's a disgrace to this establishment! She cheats in broom races, she messes about with deadly poisons, she flouts uniform regulations with that ridiculous tatty old robe, she looks a mess, she plays practical “jokes” that would get anyone else expelled, and yet people seem to treat her like a school celebrity because of some ridiculous stunt with a broom, a missile and a twig!”

Sucy and Akko blinked- then they fell about laughing.

“THAT'S what your grudge is about?” guffawed Akko. “Because we helped save the world and you weren't there? Wow! Egomaniac, much?”

“Hee hee hee, what a massive clown!” giggled Sucy, holding her sides. “She's jealous of us! Maybe she's smitten with you, Akko! Like one of those “tsundere” things you told me about!”

“Pahahahaha! Oh, god, Sucy, I haven't laughed this much in ages! Someone, get me an oxygen tent!”

Wilma looked utterly enraged for a second- then, her poisonous smile returned.

“Not all of us are so childish that we'd fall so easily in love with someone, Sucy.” she said, through gritted teeth. “Especially not someone who obviously just pities you and takes you along for a ride.”

The girls' howls of laughter stopped.

“...What the hell is that supposed to mean?” spat Akko. “Why the heck would you-”

Wilma's smile was distorted into an evil grin of malice. “Come _on_, Akko, don't lie in front of your “beloved” like that. You said yourself you didn't want to hurt her, so out with the truth.”

Sucy scoffed. “Wilma, Akko's a _dreadful_ liar. If she was hiding anything from me I'd know about it before she did.”

“Oh no? Well don't take my word for it, hear it straight from the horse's mouth!”

She reached into her pocket and withdrew a small wooden box with a button and a speaker grille on it, and tapped the button.

“I'm not sure what to do...I mean, she's one of my best friends, of course, and I really care about her, but I just...I don't know how I feel about her that way.” played the recording, slightly muffled but unmistakably Akko's voice.

The girls' faces went white as snow, and their good moods evaporated instantly.

“Well, how do you feel about her?” came Lotte's voice from the box.

“H-How did you...” stammered Akko, horrified by this revelation.

Wilma shrugged. “I have my ways.” she said, evilly. “But carry on listening, it's quite eye-opening.”

“I dunno, Lotte. I like her, but as a friend, you know?” continued Akko's voice from the recording. “I don't think I like her THAT way, but at the same time...I just don't want to hurt her.”

Sucy turned to Akko, a look of utter heartbreak on her face.

“Akko...why would you...You didn't have to...”

“I-It's not like that!” exclaimed Akko. “That is- I didn't- I mean-”

“Oh, just wait 'till you two hear the end!” tittered Wilma. “This is the real clincher!”

She pressed “fast forward” on the little wooden box, and a few seconds later, released it.

“You're right, Lotte. If it's for Sucy, the least I can do is play along with it.” said Akko from the recording.

Sucy felt herself begin to tear up. She felt angry, sad and resentful- but not at Akko, or even at Wilma. Rather, it was at herself. In her heart of hearts, she'd suspected something like this from the very beginning. She knew Akko was too good for her, and she was still touched that the girl had played along like this for so long, for her sake. But even so, the emptiness inside felt like it would consume her, imploding and sucking her into a void.

“I'm...I'm sorry, Akko...” she sniffled. “You didn't have to pretend for me...”

She turned to leave, hanging her head. She'd heard enough, now she just needed somewhere to curl up and die.

“Oh no you don't!” came Wilma's sneering voice, and the Swedish girl grabbed Sucy by the shoulder and span her around.

“W-Wilma, stop it!” cried Akko. “Haven't you done enough harm, you...you...”

She glared at Akko, her lime-green eyes without a shred of pity. “Not by a long shot, you miserable failure.” she said, viciously.

She turned back to Sucy, whose eye was beginning to stream with tears.

“You think there's always going to be someone to come to your rescue, to save you?” she hissed. “I'm sorry to burst your noxious fume bubble, but life doesn't work that way. We're all on our own, and the sooner you realized that, the better, you snivelling wretch.”

Sucy said nothing, just stepping backwards away from Wilma as she began to weep.

“Honestly, did you really think anyone could ever love you?” the bully continued. “ _You? _What is there to love? Your jagged, crooked teeth? Your limp and matted hair? Your pasty skin? You're _disgusting_, Sucy. Nobody will ever want anything to do with you.”

The Filipino shook her head, tearfully. “S-Stop...Please...” she begged. “I-”

“Don't think I don't know about the cause of this. “Oh, my dear Ramza has perished, boo hoo!” I don't see Diana crying about her parents dying when she was small!” she continued. “Bad stuff happens to people, and nobody lives forever, but the difference is most of us carry on with our lives. You though? You latch on like a barnacle to someone and descend into tears when you're prized off!”

Suddenly, Sucy's tears stopped.

“...You aren't fit to speak her name...” she spat, her voice deep with rage. “...Don't you even think-”

“Oh come on, do you really think even Ramza cared about you? She probably just-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Sucy's fist impacted with her face with a wet _smack_.

“**BITCH!**”

Herbert the troll wiped his brow and examined the fruits of his labour. A job well done, he thought.

It had taken a while, but at long last he had cleaned up the last of the mess that had been all over the hallway's floor. He'd been called in after a girl had been unfortunately sick from what they assumed was food poisoning, and he'd been spending the past two hours mopping and scrubbing to get rid of it. But at last, the floor was clean again.

He enjoyed his job at Luna Nova. Some might consider it belittling or tedious, but he'd always had a keen admiration for cleanliness, and he enjoyed spending time  keeping this beautiful castle in good condition. And his efforts were always appreciated- the staff were nice to him, as were his co-workers in the Luna Nova sanitation department, and even the students were kind and pleasant to him. Which was more than he could say for a lot of humans.

Yes, that was how it was supposed to be done, he thought. Now he just needed to pack up his equipment and clock off in time for-

“_Bitch!_” came a muffled howl of rage from the next hallway.

Oh dear, that didn't sound good at all. He may have been a simple janitor troll, but Herbert was to the best of his knowledge the only member of staff available, and if there was trouble brewing, he needed to solve it.

He sprinted down the hallway, in search of the source of the trouble. He just hoped it wasn't too severe...

“Sucy, stop!” pleaded Akko as she tried to lever the Filipino off of Wilma. “You're better than her!”

Sucy paid no heed to Akko's presence, and continued to rain blow after blow into her tormentor's face as she straddled her prone form.  
  
“You evil, horrible, vicious piece of slime!” she screamed at Wilma. “I'm going to kill you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!”

It was then that the huge form of Herbert appeared behind them; the troll almost dropped his bucket when he saw the commotion.

“W-What's going on here?” he spluttered, shocked by the sheer violence that was unfolding before him. “Please, stop fighting!”

Akko turned to face him. “Oh, Mr. Troll, thank goodness you're here!” she exclaimed. “I've tried to break it up, but I can't...”

The troll sighed, and put down his bucket. “OK, here goes nothing...” he said, sadly.

He paced up to the melee and put his huge hands on Sucy's shoulders, as gently as he possibly could.

“Please, Miss Manbavaran, stop hitting her!” he implored. “ I don't want to use force but if I have to, I will!”

The witch turned to meet his gaze, her eye filled with furious anger.

“No, nobody's going to stop me!” she snarled, all rationality gone from her voice. “I'm gonna kill her!”

She turned back to face the bully, and reached to draw back her forelock.

“No! Don't, Sucy!” cried Akko, desperately. “You mustn't!”

Sucy shook her head. “Forgive me, Akko...” she said, mournfully, before reaching again for her hair.

Before she could unleash her Evil Eye onto Wilma, however, Herbert put his hands firmly around her waist and picked her up, dragging her away from the Swede's form.

“I'm sorry, Sucy, you've left me no choice...” he said. “Please, try and control yourse- OW!”

Sucy had bitten his finger, and as he flinched in pain, she wriggled free. She dropped to the floor, and broke into a sprint for Wilma, ready to finish her off.  
  
Before she could, however, she collided with something soft.

Akko had forced herself between the pair, and acted as a buffer. As Sucy slammed into her, she embraced the furious witch, holding her tightly.

“Please...Sucy, stop!” she wept, as she hugged the frothing girl. “You mustn't...Or I might never see you again!”

Sucy looked Akko dead in the eye, her face a mask of berserk, animalistic fury. But as she gazed into Akko's soft red eyes, she began to feel the anger that was fuelling her drain away.  
  
Her expression softened, and she collapsed in floods of tears.

“...Akko...” she just about managed through shuddering sobs. “...I...I'm sorry...I didn't...Please, forgive me...”  
  
Herbert looked on in utter incredulity. He'd broken up a lot of fights before, but nothing quite like this.

“...It's OK, Sucy...” replied Akko, holding the weeping girl very close. “I'm...I'm here...”

The troll stooped down, looking tenderly at the embracing girls.

“I'm afraid I'll have to take you to the principal's office...” he said, somewhat reluctantly. “But, are you going to be alright?”

Akko nodded, weakly. “Y-Yeah...We'll be OK...I'm sorry about this mess...”

Slowly, Sucy turned to face the troll, just about able to keep her eye open from crying.

“O-Oh god, I'm sorry...” she said to Herbert, trembling. “I lost control...I didn't-”

“Ha, don't worry about it, little one.” he replied, smiling gently. “I think it's already healed, we trolls are pretty hardy. I'll send someone to collect Wilma over there, I think it's best you two are kept...apart.”

“Sucy, Sucy, Sucy...” sighed Anne Finnelan. “What are we going to do with you?”

She sat down with a gasp of exasperation, alongside Miranda Holbrooke and Samantha Badcock. Akko, Sucy and Wilma stood before the staff, with Wilma wearing a look of intolerable smugness in spite of the blood trickling from her nose.

“In all my years of teaching here, I've never had to deal with anything quite like...this.” she continued, disappointedly. “Of course we've seen plenty of fights, but never an attempted murder!”  
  
“It wasn't her fault!” exclaimed Akko. “Wilma was tormenting her! You should have heard what she said to Sucy!”

“That as it may be,” carried on Finnelan. “Sucy attempted to visit grievous harm upon Wilma- AND she assaulted poor Herbert here!”

The troll looked slightly perplexed. “Really, it wasn't an _assault_, it was barely a nip.” he said. “It really isn't a problem, ma'am.”

“Your understanding is noted,” said Holbrooke. “But I'm afraid Mrs. Finnelan is right. We can't have someone at Luna Nova who's willing to kill, no matter the circumstances.”

She stared at her lap, sadly.

“Sucy...I'm so sorry, but we're going to have to ask you to leave. It's...it's not safe for you to be here.”

Akko stepped forwards, shaking her head furiously. “You...You can't do that!” she cried. “After all she's been through...You can't just cast her aside like that!”

Mrs. Badcock piped up. “I know this is hard to hear, but we've got to be tough here.” she said, downcast. “We're willing to overlook any part you may have had in this, Akko, but-”

“No!” she snapped. “I won't hear it! If you're going to kick her out, you'll have to kick me out too!”  
  
“I-” began Badcock, but she thought better of it, and remained silent.

“We can't do that,” said Finnelan. “That would contravene every rule in our code. Besides, this isn't your doing for once, there's no reason for you to be punished unnecessarily.”

Akko glared at Finnelan. “I wasn't asking for your permission...If she goes, I go. And that's that!”

Finnelan shook her head. “Look, that's not on the cards. I'm sorry, Akko, but you have no say in this.”

“But-”

“It's OK, Akko.” said Sucy at last, who up until this point had been totally silent. “You...You don't need to sacrifice yourself for me.”

She met Akko's gaze, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I'm sorry I've been so bad to you, but...I'm glad I met you...”

She turned from the assembly and slowly paced away. Akko went to follow her, but Badcock's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“Let her go, Akko.” she said, softly. “I'm sorry it's come to this, but it's out of our hands now...”

Akko paused for a second- then she ran in Sucy's direction, throwing herself between her and the exit.

“Sucy,” she said, tearfully. “I...I'll never forget you...Please, look after yourself! I won't forgive you if you get hurt!”

The lilac-haired girl managed the faintest of smiles.  
  
“I'll do my best...you lovely, wonderful moron.” she said, struggling not to cry.

Then she went to leave, and opened the door...

...Where Lukic, Ursula, Lotte and friends were standing, with a rather sheepish looking green-haired girl amongst them.

“Not so fast, my dears.” said Lukic, as she strode into the room. “I believe there's been a dreadful misunderstanding, and we're here to set things right.”

Holbrooke looked confused. “Lukic? What's going on?” she said, adjusting her glasses.

Wangari stepped forward from the group, and pointed an accusatory finger at Wilma.

“You! You stole our equipment, didn't you?” she said, angrily. “Kimberly's Faetonic M-SLR camera, my microphone...and is that Joanna's recorder there?”

Wilma looked down at her pocket, panicking, and realized that the wooden speaker box she'd used to taunt Sucy with was poking out of it.  
  
“W-What, this?” she scoffed. “No, that's been in the family for generations, I've had it since-”

“That model was only released this month!” Wangari cut her off. “She bought it to upgrade from the one we had before, and you've obviously pilfered it!”

“And if I'm not very much mistaken,” said Lotte, angrily. “You used her camera to take those pictures and humiliate Akko and Sucy in class!”

Wilma's veneer of smugness began to crack. “Y-Y-You must be joking! As if I'd be so childish as to play a dumb prank like that!” she spluttered. “Honestly, I-”

“It's true, though.” came a meek voice from amongst the group, and the short, olive-haired witch stepped out, hesitantly. “You told me about everything.”

It was then that the facade completely came down. Wilma's face was twisted with anger, and she glared right at the offending witch.

“Linh, you treacherous...how could you!” she exclaimed, furiously. “What did they do to interrogate you?”

“They didn't do anything,” Linh replied. “They just asked me, and I was sick of you bullying me and Tallulah all the time. I told them everything.”

The colour drained from Wilma's face.

“...Everything?” she gasped, twitching with horror and rage.

“Yep!” said Amanda. “Like how you've been stalking Suce and Akko for the past day or so, and how you were gonna taunt her until she broke and walloped her one so she'd get expelled! Also how you were planning on doing the same with us and Diana...”

The staff looked at each other, utterly baffled by this sudden change in events.

“Well, this puts a very different perspective on these events...” said Finnelan, angrily. “Wilma, I'm extremely disappointed in you! I thought you'd changed, I really had, but it would seem my optimism was in vain.”

The Swede stared at Anne in complete shock. “You- You don't honestly _believe_ these fools, do you?”

The professor folded her arms. “I have more faith in them than I do in you right now,” she said. “And I feel you have reaped what you have sown.”

Holbrooke sighed. “Wilma, your actions are an absolute disgrace to Luna Nova. The fact that you would be so cruel, not just to anyone, but to a girl that you knew was deep in grief, is quite unforgivable. You are to leave this establishment _at once_, and hopefully you will learn some basic decency from this experience.”

Wilma twitched with anger. “You can't be serious! I-”

“I think you'll find I can, and if you have any sense at all you'll do as we say.”

The witch felt her hands clench into fists, and she glared in the direction of the group by the door.

“This isn't the last you've heard of me, do you understand?” she growled, still not quite humbled even now. “You'll rue the day you thought you could expel a Torbenson.”

“Careful, Wilma!” snapped Lukic, pointing a bony finger at the insolent witch. “You are in no position to be making threats around here!”

Wilma was unmoved, and simply scowled at the ancient professor. “You don't _scare me_, Lukic.” she hissed. “I'm not some simpleton that can be frightened by puerile tricks.”

Lukic's dramatic front almost instantly vanished. She'd never met a student who wasn't at least slightly intimidated by her “crazy old hag” persona, even the ones who liked her, and she wasn't quite prepared for it.

“Honestly, what are you going to do to me? Physically drag me out of here and push me off the tower?” Wilma muttered, rolling her eyes. “I've nothing to lose, it would seem, so I think I'll stay right where I am.”

“I wouldn't recommend that,” said Jasminka, trying her best to be civil. “Herbert there is quite strong, he could easily-”

“Cork it, fatso!” she spat. “Don't you have another great Russian famine to start?”

“Why, you little-”

“Steady on, Jasminka.” said Lukic, placing a hand on the tubby witch's shoulder. “Wilma, there's no point in being difficult. Just leave, for everyone's sakes, including your own.”

Wilma snarled. “Oh please, do you seriously expect me to believe that a _janitor troll_ is going to just grab me and drag me kicking and screaming out-”

It was at that moment that Herbert grabbed Wilma and dragged her kicking and screaming out of the door.

“You shouldn't have given me ideas...” he said, gently as always.

“You _put me down this __**instant**_ you foul-smelling OAF!” she yelled, losing all traces of smugness and simply reducing to impotent anger. “I'll have your head for this, do you hear me? Your HEAD!”

“Yeah, of course you will.” Herbert chuckled. “What good it'd do you anyway, it'd just grow back.”

The door closed behind the troll, and there was silence.

“...Well,” began Lukic. “That was all rather unfortunate. I'd really rather she'd gone quietly. Anyway, does anyone fancy a nice cup of tea?”

Finnelan shook her head. “Hang on, we still have the matter of what we're going to do about Sucy here. She still committed a grave transgression of school rules, and...why is everyone looking at me that way?”

“That won't be necessary, Anne.” said Holbrooke, who just about resisted the temptation to say something more cutting. “Given the circumstances, I think we can more than afford to overlook Miss Manbavaran's outburst.”

The professor suddenly looked very ashamed, like a child that had been scolded by a parent.

“I suppose so, yes...” she said, shuffling awkwardly. “I'm sorry, I was out of line.”

The principal stood up to her not particularly impressive full height. “Anyway, Miss Kagari, Miss Manbavaran, you two have my _sincerest_ apologies for what you've been put through today.” she said, matter-of-factly. “All of those who helped expose this appalling miscarriage of justice, you have my thanks. And now, I think we've all earned a rest.”

  
“Sucy...are you gonna be OK?” said Akko, as she, Sucy and Lotte walked back to their dorm. “I'm so sorry about what happened, I hope-”

“It's fine, Akko.” Sucy cut her off, smiling. “You haven't got anything to apologize for. _She's _gone now anyway.”

She paused, exhaling softly.

“But...I feel I need to ask...” she said, a barely-perceptible trace of gloom in her voice. “Why didn't you just tell me that you didn't feel that way about me? I...I could have taken it...”

Akko shook her head, sighing deeply. She looked Sucy in the eye, and gently stroked her cheek.

“It's true, I didn't feel that way...past tense.” she said, a slight smile creeping onto her face. “But Sucy, what I said in the cafe, and everything afterwards...I meant it.”

Sucy blinked. “Akko, it's OK, you don't need to try an-”

The Japanese witch cut her off. “Yes, I do, Sucy. Because, I...I...”

She swallowed hard, preparing herself for what she was about to say.

“I love you, Sucy.”

Sucy's jaw dropped. There wasn't even a drop of insincerity or dishonesty in those words. What Akko was saying now was the absolute total truth.

“Do you...do you mean that?” she gasped, utterly dumbfounded.

Akko nodded. “I do. I just...I hope you still love me, after-”

Before Akko could finish her sentence, Sucy had thrown her arms around her, and squeezed her tightly.

“Akko...you big dummy...” she said, very, very softly. “...I never stopped...!”

The chestnut-haired girl hugged her back- shortly followed by Lotte adding to the embrace and squeezing the two of them in a bear-hug that would have been more expected from Jasminka.

“Oh my gosh, you two are so _CUTE!_” she squealed. “I love a happy ending so much!”

It was 11 o'clock, and Luna Nova was at rest once again. Everyone had gone to sleep, and all was well. The wind was softly blowing across the countryside and through the nooks and crannies of the school, and the moon was shining softly.

Lotte had long fallen asleep, having just finished the latest Night Fall volume, and Akko and Sucy were snuggled up together in Akko's bunk, holding each other close for warmth.

“You know,” whispered Akko, playfully. “If you'd told me we'd be girlfriends when we first met, I wouldn't have believed you.”

Sucy grinned. “And if I'd told you that then, I'd have booked myself in to see a shrink.” she chuckled, quietly. “Good thing I didn't, or we'd not be here now.”

“Still”, she continued. “No point worrying about that now. We're here, and we're together. That's what matters.”

Akko smiled. “Awww, Sucy, you really are such a sweetie sometimes.” she said, happily. “It's times like this, I'm glad I came here.”

She bobbed her head closer to Sucy, and gently nuzzled her cheek.

“I love you, Sucy...” she murmured, dreamily. “Everything's going to be OK.”

“T-That tickles, Akko!” Sucy giggled. “And...I love you too.”

She felt her eyelid begin to droop from tiredness. It was late, and she needed sleep.

“I love you...so much...” she mumbled as she slowly began to slip into unconsciousness. “G'ni...zzz...”

The Japanese girl stroked Sucy's hair, lovingly. She was, she had to admit, extremely cute like this.

She had a lot to think about. There were things she needed to do; apologize to Diana, do more studying, and maybe try and look into finding Sucy's old friend Lailani. But those, she thought, were things to worry about tomorrow. For now, she needed to sleep, and to be close with her girlfriend.

“Night night, Sucy.” she whispered, before falling asleep herself.

The past few days had been an absolute emotional rollercoaster ride. But for now, everything was well again.

What none of them saw was the ghostly figure with wild grey hair, kind hazel eyes and a long white robe floating outside the window, looking in on them and smiling.

_ My work here is done,  _ Ramza thought to herself.  _ Take care of yourself, Sucy. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that, my dear readers, is the end of this story. For now, anyway. I may revisit it at some point and continue some of the ideas I had for it, as there's a lot of concepts still brewing in my mind, but for now at least, this fanfic is complete. I'd considered extending the story out for longer, but I realized there wasn't really enough relevant material for a whole sixth chapter, so this one just ended up slightly longer than usual.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed it- it's been a long work in progress, and it's been a real learning experience. Hopefully it wasn't too dark, and I hope the ending wasn't too abrupt.
> 
> I'll definitely do more SuAkko stuff in future- however, my next fic will actually be a DiAkko lark (I promised a friend, don't judge me, OK?). It will almost certainly be much more light-hearted than this, however.
> 
> Anyway, I look forward to your opinions and I'll see you all again very soon!


End file.
